Papi's Princess
by trbbk53
Summary: AU story: Stephanie's taken at a young age by a Venezuelan weapons dealer looking for revenge. Years later Stephanie is discovered by Ranger who is on a mission to take the Venezuelan down. Will he be able to save her and bring her home where she belongs? Babe HEA story.
1. Chapter 1

I hope you all enjoy this. This is a different concept and I don't think that I've seen any stories out there like this one and I've been thinking about this story for a while, this is absolutely an AU and OOC. It's rated M for language and for adult content in the later chapters.

Let me know what you think and thank you for your support as always.

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

**Trenton NJ circa November, 1991 – At the Plum's Residence**

She was in the kitchen starting to get everything ready for dinner so that when her husband Frank finally came home, he'd been gone on this mission for almost a year, everything would be perfect. She missed him so much and was so glad he was coming home. It had been hard enough to handle it all alone but with the girls getting older things were getting harder. Valerie, who was 6, really wasn't so much of a problem since she's always been the perfect little girl being so polite and quiet, but Stephanie had just turned 4 she didn't know what to do with her, she was always getting into everything and being just wild and crazy.

As if to prove her point she could hear Stephanie screaming that she wanted to go outside and play. Valerie was trying to tell her that it was getting cold and she couldn't go outside, but the little girl wasn't listening to her sister and continued to scream at her. Helen walked into the living room to see Stephanie had already put on her socks and stood by the door and said "No Stephanie, it's too cold you CAN NOT go outside." That didn't help her she just screamed louder and continued to throw a fit and Helen was trying to think about what she could do to stop her daughter from going outside but knew that if this was something that she really wanted to do that she wouldn't give up because Stephanie was just like her daddy. She never showed any type of fear and was always looking for the next adventure or mischief that she could get into. She was so glad that his contract was done, that meant no more going out on these crazy missions, maybe with him being home it would settle her youngest down some. She was brought out of her thoughts by Valerie screaming "Owwww" and looked down and saw Stephanie had gone and gotten her shoe back and had thrown it at her hitting her in the head. Helen having enough of this yelled "Stephanie Michelle Plum, you do not throw your shoe at your sister, you could have hurt her and that's not what proper young girls do" Stephanie looked at her and yelled back "I wanna go outside and she won't let me". Helen picked her up and took her to her room and laid her down on her bed and sternly said "No, I told you that you couldn't go outside and I mean it. Now, you are going to stay in your room and behave yourself. Take a nap so when your daddy gets home later you will be nice and refreshed and you can show him what a good girl you are", and with that Helen turned around and marched out of Stephanie's room shutting the door. She walked passed the living room and saw that Valerie was sitting there watching TV and playing with her dolls. She headed to the kitchen to finish preparing dinner. She could still hear Stephanie screaming and crying for her Daddy, but she just ignored her and hoped that she would stay in her room and not cause any more problems while she was trying to get everything done.

The timer went off and everything else was forgotten as she went back to preparing her welcome home meal. She didn't have any other interruptions and when she finally had finished what needed to be done and looked at the clock, she realized it was almost 5 o'clock. she only had an hour before he was supposed to be home and dinner would be on the table. He hadn't called her to tell her that he wouldn't be there, and she realized that she hadn't heard anything else except for the TV and then rolled her eyes upward and thanked God Stephanie was quiet. She tried to remember if she knew the moment when she couldn't hear Stephanie scream and cry, but realized that since she was lost in her own thoughts that she couldn't. She was hoping that meant that she had finally fell asleep or that maybe she was just playing quietly in her room. She came out into the living room and saw Valerie in pretty much in the same spot as before. She thought that one could play with her dolls for hours. She looked at her and said "Val why don't you go get Stephanie and get you two washed up for dinner, so I can have everything ready when your dad gets home." Val looked at her and said "Okay mom, I'll go get her and take care of it". She got up and walked to the hallway to Stephanie's room and as she opened the bedroom door she could feel the cold hitting her and thought that was really strange, then she looked over at the bed and saw that it was empty, she looked over at the window and saw it was open. Stephanie was nowhere to be seen. She screamed "MOM! MOM! Come quick, Stephanie's gone".

Helen came running into the room and looked around, she looked at the bed, under the bed, and in the closet and then looked out the window and she screamed "Stephanie". All she heard was the normal neighborhood noises and didn't hear any response from her. She then ran to the front door and threw it open hoping beyond hope that Stephanie would be there and everything would be OK. She walked outside and didn't see her playing in the yard. She also didn't see her across the street at any of the neighbor's house playing. She didn't see her at all. She was really starting to panic now. She ran down to the side walk and looked down both sides of the street. She was screaming her name over and over and didn't hear anything back.

Then she saw Frank's car pulling up, he took one look at her panicked face, shut the car off jumped out and ran to Helen. She looked at him and thought what was supposed to be a happy reunion has now turned into a nightmare because their daughter was missing. How could she tell him what happened? He won't be happy with what she did and he always says he hates it when she punishes her for her just being who she wants to be. Frank ran up to Helen and knew something was terribly wrong by the look on her face. He said "What's going on?" She buried her face in his chest crying and started telling him the whole story about what happened and how she's been yelling for her but she's not answering and hasn't see her. She could see the anger in his face so she decided she needed to think real quick so that she could get away and he wouldn't yell at her so she turned to Frank and said "She's probably hiding somewhere close and she's not coming out because she's afraid she'll get into more trouble, she's probably waiting for you to come home and save her, so maybe you should go and find her." With that Helen quickly walked back into the house so he couldn't reply and that hopefully it wouldn't take too long for him to find her, and then they would all be able to sit down and have the family dinner that they were supposed to have before this whole mess.

Frank looked at his wife in disbelief, did she really think that Stephanie would do something so horrible as to sneak out and then hide until I came home. He put that thought aside and decided that he needed to find his daughter, so he started screaming Stephanie's name and telling her that it was time to come home. He started knocking on the neighbor's doors and asking if they had seen her. So far no one had seen her but they were all willing to help and look for her. They looked all around the neighborhood and the adjoining neighborhoods and she was still nowhere to be found and no one had seen her. After a while he knew he needed more back up because it was going to start to get dark soon and he needed to get the police involved. He told everyone what he was doing and they all agreed that they needed to be called since they'd been looking for a while and still haven't found her but they all said they wouldn't stop and would continue to look.

As he was walking home he thought to himself how is it a 4 year old little girl just disappears with no sign or trace. Those thoughts carried him inside where is wife immediately yelled from the kitchen "Took you long enough, now that you have her back have her wash up since we have no idea where she's been and let's sit down and eat dinner." She came out carrying a serving dish that held the pot roast and looked at his face. She knew at that point that he didn't find her and she dropped the pot roast and screamed "NO!" He walked over to her and held her then looked at her and said "I need to get the police involved, so I have to go call them. All of the neighbors are still out there looking for her. Hopefully, we'll be able to find her soon." and he walked away from her. This was the one of the hardest calls that he'll ever have to make, but he knew he had to do it. So he picked up the phone and dialed the one number he knew would search as hard for Stephanie as he would. After the 3rd ring he heard "Sergeant Juniak speaking" Frank said "Hey Joe, it's Frank. We have a problem, Stephanie is missing and most of the neighbors and I have been looking for her for about an hour but we can't find her. To top it all off I don't even know how long she's been gone." Then Joe answered "What the fuck happened, and what do you mean you don't know how long she's been missing." Frank then proceeded to tell his best friend and his missing daughter's Godfather the story that Helen had told him. After Frank was done he heard Joe let out a breath and said "I'll gather everyone I can here and we'll be over there in 5 minutes."

Joe walked up to the house 5 minutes later and Helen had opened the door and let him in, she didn't know what to say to him, so she just said "Thanks for coming Joe, I don't know what to do, why would she would do this to us?" Joe looked at her with disgust and said "You don't know why she would do this to you, she's a fucking 4 year old little girl, who only wanted to go outside and you locked her in her room." She replied "I did not lock her in her room. I just put her in it and told her to take a nap because I wanted her to be in a good mood for Frank." Joe replied "Helen, from the first day that child was born you have known that Frank favored her and you hated it, so saying that you wanted her to take a nap so that she would be in a good mood for Frank is bullshit and you know it." With that he turned away from her and walked out of the room. He went in search of Frank and said "Let's go find our little girl. I'm sure she's hungry, tired, and cold. I'd say scared but you and I both know she's tougher than nails even at 4 and hasn't been afraid of anything yet." Frank nodded his head and they both walked out of his house to see if they could find his precious little girl.

**Earlier Outside the Plum Residence**

He's sitting across the street watching the house. He has his orders and knows what he's supposed to do now he just needs to figure out how to do it. He thought about just going up to the door and taking what he was ordered to but he really needed to figure out a way to do it without hurting anyone, as he was told that would only be used as a last resort. He heard yelling and screaming from the house and then heard a door slam. He wonders what that's all about and thinks that this might be the opening that he's been looking for. He was told that Plum was going to be home later tonight and that what needed to be done had to be done before he got home. He was told that he needed to do it in a way that there would be no way anyone could connect him to the job, and that by the time they had figured anything out there would be no way for them to trace it back to his boss. He was brought out of his thoughts by seeing the little girl in question climbing out of her window. He knew she was only 4 so his first thought was what in the hell is she doing climbing out of the window. Then he really looked at her and realized that she didn't have a jacket on or shoes, but at least she had socks on. He thought this must be my lucky day knowing that he had the things in his car to help her. He took a quick glance at the kitchen window that was facing him and saw the mother had her back turned and wasn't even paying attention to anything, then he looked over at the living room window and the other little girl was watching TV and playing with her dolls, she's not the one he was told to get so I don't care what she's doing, but just he just wanted to make sure that she wouldn't be a problem. With that he slides out of the car carefully not to draw attention to himself and slowly walk up to the little girl.

At that point Stephanie looked up and saw him and had a look on her face like she knew she had been caught doing something wrong. He smiled at her and said "Sweetheart, you know you're not wearing any shoes and you don't have a coat on. Don't you think your mom would be upset at you for going outside and not wearing them?" She said "I wanted to play outside and I didn't have them in my room, so I couldn't put them on." Then she shocked him by saying "You sound funny." He laughed and told her "Well, I sound funny because I'm from a different country and just moved into the area. You know it's not good for you to play outside with no coat and shoes, you could get sick. You don't want that to happen do you? But I think I can help you, I have a little girl your age and I just bought her a new coat and a brand new pair of shoes. Why don't you come with me over to my car and I'll get everything for you."

She looked up at him with those clear blue eyes and said "I don't think so, I'm not supposed to talk to strangers and I don't know who you are." He smiled at her and said "That's very smart and who ever told you that is right." And then he put his hand out and said "My name is Tomas, what's yours?" She looked at his outreached hand took it and said "I'm Stephanie." He held her hand and said "Now we're not strangers, so what do you say I help you out. I'm sure you're starting to feel a little bit cold, huh?" She replied "Uh huh." And then he walked her over to his car and with a smile and thought this couldn't have gone any better if he tried. When they got over to his car he opened the back seat and told her climb up in the car seat so it would be easier for him to put the shoes. She agreed and started climbing in. When her back was turned he quickly engaged the child safety lock, knowing that once he closed the doors she wouldn't be able to get out. He knelt down in front of her grabbed the shoes out of the box and went to put them on her feet. He said "Hey I have an idea, since you're cold and need to be warmed up, why don't we go and get some hot chocolate. Would you like that?" She smiled and nodded her head. He said "OK do you know how to buckle yourself in?" She looked at him and said "Uh huh" and then proceeded to buckle herself in. He knew that this would probably be his only chance to get her, that while she was so focused on pulling the straps over her shoulders, he grabbed the tiny needle from the floor and quickly stuck it in her leg. She stopped what she was doing and yelled "Oww that hurt" but before she could say or do anything else, she got a dazed look in her eyes and he little head drooped down and she fell asleep. Tomas lifted his head to look around to make sure that no one was coming out to investigate. He saw the that the neighborhood was quiet and that no one seemed to have heard anything, he ran into the driver's seat, started the car and drove away, knowing that he had completed his task and was on his way to make his delivery.

He kept scanning the radio for any news reports that might be about the little one he had in his back seat missing. There were no alerts being sent out and he knew that he hadn't been followed. So he got on the highway and drove to the private airport that he knew that his boss would be waiting for him. After driving for about an hour he turned on to the airport road, he looked at the back seat and verified the little girl was still sleeping. He pulled up to the guard shack and stopped at the gate. The guard walked up to him and he proceeded to tell the guard that his plane is waiting for him on runway 2 and that he was running late and needed to meet up with the pilot. The guard nodded his head towards the little girl and Tomas smiled and said "Man, she's worn out. We came here for a family trip and she's been none stop since we got here. Now it's time to go home and she's finally decided to sleep". The guard nodded his head and asked to see his documents, so he reached over to the envelope that was on the front seat beside him and handed both of their passports to the guard. He looked at them smiled said have a safe trip home and opened the gate so he could go through. As he was passing by the guard, he gave Tomas directions to get to the runway.

Tomas drove right up to the private plane and stopped. He got out of the car as a big burly man came down the steps of the plane and walked right up to the car. The man looked in the back window of the car at the sleeping child and smiled. He looked at the man now standing next to him and said in a very thick Spanish accent "Well done, let's get her on the plane." Tomas said "Yes sir". The man turned around and walked back up the stairs and disappeared into the plane. Tomas opened the back door took the blanket that was on the seat beside Stephanie and wrapped her up in it. Then he carried her up the stairs and boarded the plane. He took her to the back of the plane and laid her down on the bed making sure that she was comfortable. Then he walked out of the bedroom and sat down on the couch. He looked at his boss and said "She's good". The man then told the pilot that everyone was on ready and to take off as soon as possible. The pilot radioed the tower, got permission to take off and down the runway they went and took off into the sky.

Author's Note:

Thought I would share a little bit of my inspiration for one of the scenes with you all and tell you a funny story. When my 16 year old daughter was 4 she used to open her window and climb out of it, then she would walk around to the front of the house and down to the end of the drive way to get the paper. She walked to the front door tried to open it and when she couldn't because it was locked, she knocked on it. The first time she did that and my husband (who's a stay at home Dad) opened the door and saw her standing there with the paper in her hands he was shocked but she just looked at him smiled said Hi Daddy and walked into the house like it was no big deal.

She was also the only one of my kids that was never afraid of anything and proved it time and time again… thank goodness she's kinda grown out of that now.


	2. Continuing the Search and In the Air

Thank you all, I'm so overwhelmed by everyone who commented, favorite, and followed. I wasn't sure if anyone would like it because of it not being the normal story line. I'm going to update once a week on Thursday but if I'm able to get a few chapters ahead then I will try and post 2 in one week. It will probably be about 10 chapters before Ranger makes his appearance but I do promise that this is a Babe HEA.

All italicized words are them speaking Spanish. I don't speak it and I don't even want to pretend to, so I figured I would save you all from the disaster that could come from any translator app I could use.

**Continuing the Search Back in Trenton**

They went out and searched for as long as they could but it was getting late and really dark. Some of the neighbors that were helping with the search started to give their apologies and wishing them luck while saying they had to go inside and take care of their own families. Frank and Joe understood and because it was dark and they pretty much had covered everywhere they thought she could be and searched every nook and cranny at least 5 times. Joe looked at those who were left, including any cops that were there and said "It's getting late and dark outside making it difficult for us to continue looking tonight, I'd like to thank you all for your help and we will be out here bright and early in the morning to resume the search, but in the meantime if by some chance you remember seeing anything or hear of anything please let us know immediately."

As they walked into the house they went straight into the den so they could talk in private, Joe looked over at Frank and said "I hate to tell you this but I really think that we need to stop thinking that she just simply ran away. I'm starting to think that she was kidnapped", when Frank looked at him like he had just grown another head, Joe continued saying "You and I both know that with the things that you still do and the stuff that I used to do, that if someone was looking to get back at either one of us that she would be the perfect target. It wouldn't take much for someone to find out that she's your daughter and my God daughter and how much we love her and would do anything for her. I hate to think that someone did this on purpose but you and I both know that it could come to that, and the fact that it could be because of one of us will crush us both. I'm going to the office to make a few calls and see if I can get the ball rolling, see what we can do. We should be able to get out an APB on her, maybe alert the airport, bus station, and train station. Frank, because we don't know the exact time this happened, we are looking at the one of the worst case scenarios here. We may not be able to find her as quickly as we'd been able to had we been alerted when this first happened."

Frank said "I know and I'm sure this is just as rough on Helen as it is us and since there isn't anything we can do about it now and only move forward, I'll talk to her again and see if she can remember anything to get a better idea but I really think she has no clue. She was so focused on the fact that I was coming home and finally done with these missions and all she wanted was to have the perfect family dinner to celebrate, that that she didn't see or hear anything other than what was going on in the kitchen. She was consumed by trying to be the best wife she could, that she forgot to be a mother. I'm not trying to make excuses for her but I know that she's been having a rough time while I've been gone, not sure about this time, but the last time was bad. When I got home all she talked about was how she couldn't handle being a single mother anymore and couldn't wait until all this was over because it was getting to hard. I felt so guilty, that I didn't know what to say." Joe looked at him and nodded his head and Frank said "While you're at the office I'll make some calls and see if my contacts have heard any grumblings about certain people already here that we need to keep our eyes on or someone heading this way that we need to be aware of. We both just need to concentrate on finding her as quickly as possible." With that being said Joe walked through the house without stopping to talk to anyone and out the front door straight to his car and drove away.

Frank headed into the living room watched his wife sitting on the couch holding Valerie in her lap, who was clinging to her as she slept. Since he'd been home he hadn't been able to greet his wife properly or even say anything to his oldest daughter. As he was watching them he noticed the tear stains down his daughter's face then he looked up at Helen face and saw the tears in her eyes. She tried to talk to him but he could only shake his head no, as if to tell her no here. She carefully laid Valerie down on the couch and got up to walk over to Frank. She asked him if anything was new and he told her that there wasn't and that they had called off the search for tonight. When she realized the seriousness of that answer, she could no longer hold back the tears and she started crying. She finally said through her sobs "This is whole thing is my all fault, if I hadn't yelled at her and put her in her room she would still be here and we wouldn't be going through this."

Frank wiped the tears from his wife eyes and said "Helen, this is not your fault and I need to tell you that we are no longer looking at this like Stephanie ran away. We are now going to look at this as she was kidnapped." She quietly screamed "What do you mean by kidnapped?" Frank looked at her and said "You know at this point she would have been hungry enough and would have come home, we've searched every road, house, bush, tree and anywhere else that we can think of and haven't found her. If she was hurt or something else we would have heard her, so Joe went to the station to fill out a missing child report and to talk to some of his people to see if there might be someone that has any answers and I have to make a couple of calls to see if maybe someone is after me because of my missions and would take it out on my family." And with that he walked away and went into the kitchen. She picked her other sleeping daughter up and held on to her for dear life, she knows that she wasn't always easy on Stephanie because she was always a free spirit, but she was still her child and she loved her dearly. She thought to herself how on earth am I going to get through this, at that point Valerie made a noise and Helen thought to herself I have to be strong for her, and keep faith that we'll get Stephanie back. She then thought kidnapped, she didn't even want to think about that, why would anyone want to hurt our family, she just didn't understand it.

Frank walked into the kitchen and picked up the phone, he was having a hard time keeping his thought together but in order to make this call he needed to be clear headed. He took a deep breath and dialed his Commander's number. It rang twice and before anyone could answer on the other line Frank interrupted and said "Commander Franklin, this is Major Plum. I believe we have a situation." He replied "Major, what's the issue?" Frank then proceeded to explain the events that had taken place so far today. After listening to everything that the Major had told him, the Commander finally said "I'll make some calls. I know time is of the essence at the moment so I will try to make it as quick as possible, in the meantime is there anything else I can help you with Frank." Frank replied "Sir, I appreciate that. I'm sure you remember Juniak, he is the one that's working on this case as part TPD and is filing a missing child report and an APB and pushing it out as an emergency to all the media, as well as any of his contacts. He's worried that it might have more to do with him instead of me, but I'm not sure that's the case. I'm really hoping that someone will see the report and knows what happened to Stephanie and will bring her back to us." Commander Franklin simply replied "Agreed, I'll get back to you as soon as possible." He hung up the phone and left Frank listening to dead air.

Frank sat at the kitchen table and did the one thing that he had not yet allowed himself to do, he cried. He doesn't know how long he was sitting there but suddenly he felt his wife by his side and she was hugging him and whispering in his ear "We will find Stephanie and she will be fine, you'll see. I know I get on her but she is a strong little girl and is a fighter like her Daddy." He just nodded his head and they cried together both secretly fearing they will never see her again.

**Somewhere Over the Ocean on a Plane**

They'd been on the plane for a couple of hours and knew that the little girl should be waking up soon. Not many words had been spoken between the two men during the flight so far, so that left a lot of thinking time for Tomas, but there was something that was nagging Tomas. So he looked over at his boss and asked him what he had been thinking about and without realizing slipped into their native tongue and asked _"What happens when she wakes up and realizes that we've taken her away from her family? Are we going to drug her again until we land or are you going to let her stay up? What are your plans with her?"_ His boss looked at him very carefully and said _"Why do you all of a sudden care what happens to her or what I'm going to do with her?"_ Tomas replied _"Since I've been watching her for the past few weeks and today when I was speaking to her and was able to convince her to come with me, I could tell that she was a special little girl and I just don't want anything bad to happen to her."_ His boss laugh loudly, and said _"Tomas, you don't even know half the story about this precious little girl. You see she is the heart of the two people in this world that I consider my biggest enemies and that I would stop at nothing to destroy them."_ Tomas looked at him with an unsure voice said _"You aren't going to hurt her are you to get back at them are you?" _His boss just smiled and said _"My dear boy, I have no intention of hurting her, as a matter of fact I'm going to bring her home and treat her like my own flesh and blood daughter and make sure she grows up to think she's a princess. I know that when they find out that she is missing they will blame themselves and after years of searching for her they will become so heartbroken over never being able to find her that they become nothing shells of the men they used to be and if by chance they ever do find her that she won't even remember them and that will start the whole heartbreak all over again."_ He continued by saying _"However, since you have taken such a shine to her, I am now appointing you to be her personal bodyguard. Never let anything happen to her."_ Tomas nodded his head and replied _"Understood Sir, I will make it my life to guard her with everything that I am."_

Little did they know that at that moment Stephanie was starting to toss and turn trying to wake up, when she was finally awake enough to open her eyes, she realized that she wasn't in her room. She looked around a little more and screamed.

The men in the cabin heard her and then looked at each other, Tomas' boss simply nodded at him and he got up thinking that he guessed his bodyguard duties were starting now. He quickly walked back to the bedroom and showed himself to her. By now she had moved down to the edge of the bed, she looked at him and said "I want to go home!" He shook his head thinking about what his boss had told him and figured now was as good as time as any to start the life his boss wanted for her so he said "We are taking you home, that's why we are on a plane." She continued to stare at him trying to decide what to think of him, she appeared to come to a decision and replied angrily "NO! I was home, you took me away. You lied to me. You're a bad man!" He tried to move closer to her but she scooted back further up the bed so he couldn't

reach her. Somehow, he knew that this would be a meeting of the minds, again proving how strong this little girl was. He quietly said "I'm not a bad man. Remember I'm your friend Tomas?" She narrowed her eyes at him "You were going to take me to get hot cocoa and you poked me with something, I fell asleep and you took me away. That's bad." Tomas smiled and said "Yes you're right and I'm sorry I did that to you, but now you just have to trust me and know that I won't do anything else to hurt you." Stephanie just sat there looking at him and then she did the one thing that broke his heart. She put her head down and cried into her pillow.

After what seemed like forever when he noticed her sobs slowing down he walked over to the side of the bed and reached out to her so that he could bring her to sit down on his lap so he could hold and comfort her. She struggled for a little bit not wanting to give in but then after a few minutes she allowed him to pull her up on his lap. She lifted her head and looked up at him with tears in her crystal blue eyes then tucked her head on his chest and let him hold her. After a while she finally lifted her head and looked and smiled. She then said something he wasn't sure he could ever explain, she whispered "Why me?" Tomas said "My dear, I can't explain that to you maybe one day but not right now." Just then her stomach growled letting them know that she was hungry, he smiled and chuckled and said "Before we go feed your beast, I need to tell you something." She nodded her head and he continued "There's a man out in the cabin that's sitting in a chair whose name is Osvaldo Jiménez, he's my boss and is taking you to your new home. Do you understand?" Her lower lip started to tremble like she was going to cry but instead she just nodded her head. He then took her hand and walked her out to the couch that he was previously sitting on. She sat down and looked at the man she didn't know. Osvaldo turned to her and said "Hello." She quietly said "Hi." Then her stomach let out another really loud roar and he chuckled and said "Are you hungry?" When she nodded her head, he reached out and picked up the phone that was beside him on a table and spoke in Spanish, the next thing she knew there was a woman that came out with a cart that had food on it. She watched the cart pull up to her and the woman asked "Do you want something from the cart, dear?" Stephanie looked at the different choices of food and saw that there were donuts on the tray, she loved them but her mom always told her that she wasn't allowed to eat those because they would make her fat, but they looked really good. Her thoughts were broken up by Osvaldo saying "Estefania, what's wrong sweetie?" She made eye contact with him and gave him a questioning look. He smiled at her and said "Estefania is Stephanie in Spanish. Our home is in Venezuela in a town called Puerto Cabello. Spanish is the language of our people. Now, what has you looking so deep in thought?" She looked at the tray and pointed to the donuts. He told her "Do you want to eat the donuts?" She nodded her head and he said "Well if that's what you want then you can eat it." She looked at him like she didn't quite believe him then she said "I'm not allowed to have donuts, my mommy doesn't let me eat them." He said "Just think of it this way since your mommy isn't here and I am I'll giving you my permission to have it, just like if I was your Papi or your daddy. I would like it if you called me that, what do you think?"

Her eyes got wide at what he was saying about him being her Papi or her daddy, she didn't want another daddy she wanted hers, but how would she get him back. After a few minutes she thought that what her real daddy would want her to be strong for him so that she'll be ok when he finds her. In order for her to do that she'd have to go along with what this man said, so she nodded her head and grabbed a couple of donuts and said "Thank you Papi." He smiled at her and said "That's a good girl, is there anything else you want?" She said "Can I have some milk?" The woman with the cart leaned over and opened a door and pulled out a small carton of milk, opened it and handed it to her. While she was drinking it the woman asked "Is there anything else I can get for you?" Stephanie said "No thank you." Osvaldo said "Estefania, Just let me know when you are ready for something else, we have quite a while before we land, okay?" She nodded and the lady took the cart and walked away.

After Stephanie finished off the donuts and the milk, Tomas looked over at her and said "Do you want to sit out here with us or do you want to go lay down for a little bit?" She said "Can I lie down on the couch?" He said "Of course you can, I'll get you a pillow and blanket" and Tomas got up to go get them from the bedroom.

Osvaldo took that moment to get up and sit down on the other side of the couch to give her a little space. He looked at her and said "Do you like Tomas?" She replied "Yes." He said "After we land and we are home, I would like for him to always go with you wherever you go to make sure that you stay safe and never get hurt, do you think you would like that as well?" She nodded her head and he said "Good I'm glad, I know that you probably are scared because you don't know what's going on and you miss your family, but now I would like you to be a part of my family. I want you to be my daughter, my princess and I will give you everything that I possibly can?" He put his arms out to her and she wasn't sure what to do at first but then she decided that it would be OK and crawled over to him and up onto his lap, she thought that he smelled good and was really warm. She then put her head down on his chest and closed her eyes.

Tomas came back with the blanket and pillow and the site that he saw was an encouraging one. Osvaldo who was now stretched out on the couch with Stephanie was laying on him and both appeared to be sleeping. He thought to himself that it was rare thing that Osvaldo was relaxed enough to sleep on the plane. He can only guess that it was just another power of that little girl in his arms. He set the pillow down on the table beside the couch since she no longer needed it but then laid the blanket over them and went over to the chair and sat down. At the same time both Osvaldo and Stephanie in a sleepy voice said "Thank you, Tomas". He looked over at them whispered "Your welcome" and then thought that everything just might work out better than he could hope. He knew his boss says that he was just out for revenge but maybe he just found something else that he needed more and with that realization he leaned the chair back and decided to get some sleep as well.


	3. 2 days later & Getting to Puerto Cabello

Again I'm overwhelmed with the people who have reviewed, favored and followed. I'm glad that you are liking this story.

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

Authors Note:

I'm not sure if the Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetia has a section for private planes but for sake of this tory we're going to say it does.

All italicized words are them speaking Spanish. I don't speak it and I don't even want to pretend to, so I figured I would save you all from the disaster that could come from any translator app I could use.

**Trenton – 2 Days after Stephanie disappeared…**

Frank sat at the table staring at the phone just willing it to ring hoping that it would provide any kind of information regarding his little girl and where she was. He started thinking that they weren't any closer to finding her than they were the day she was taken. Wishing for some sort of sign of where she could possibly be or how she was doing. At this point he was sure that she was scared, he was hoping that whoever did this was at least treating her better than his imagination would allow him to think. He tried not to let it get the better of him but sometimes he couldn't help it and his mind would start to think about the alternative. He shivered just thinking about it.

Then all of a sudden he was brought out of his thoughts but his first born climbing on his lap. Valerie looked up at her Daddy with her teary eyes and then lowered her head and snuggled into him. He felt the sadness and pain as she released the flood of salty sorrow filled tears that began soaking thru his shirt to his skin and he shuddered at the thoughts of both of his girls crying at that moment. As she was crying she said "Daddy, I miss my Stephie and I want her to come home. I know that sometimes I wasn't always the best sister to her and I yelled at her for some of the things she did, but I love her and I promise that when she comes home that I'll be the best sister in the world and I'll let her do whatever she wants and I won't ever yell at her again. I'm so sorry Daddy it's all my fault, if I had just gone outside with her instead of yelling at her and then getting Mommy involved none of this would have happened and she would be right here with us and not alone and by herself." Frank realized that Valerie was blaming herself for Stephanie disappearing; he couldn't allow her to do that. It wasn't her fault. It was just a lot of bad and unfortunate things that happened to fall into place at once. Now he needed to focus on her and make sure that she understands that this isn't and will never be her fault. He gently gave the top of her head a quick kiss and then gently tilted her back away from his chest. He put his hands on her face and looked directly in her eyes so that she knew he was serious and sternly said "Valerie Plum, I want you to listen to me and I don't want you to interrupt me, do you understand?" She nodded her head and he continued "Stephie missing is not your fault and you had nothing to do with it and I DO NOT want you to blame yourself. You were right to tell her that it was cold and she couldn't go outside, you are her older sister and you were trying to protect her. Which was proven when your mom agreed with you about her not being allowed to go outside, and I'm proud of you for being a good older sister. I don't ever want to hear you say that it's your fault again OK?" She slowly nodded her head. He could tell that she didn't believe him so he shook his head and said "No Valerie, I want you to tell me that you understand what I'm saying to you and that this is not your fault." She kept the eye contact with her Daddy and said "Yes, sir. I understand that, but it doesn't stop me from feeling bad." He leaned down kissed her forehead and whispered "I know sweetie, all of us are feeling bad and we won't feel better until she comes home."

Valerie gave her Daddy a small smile and a quick hug and said "I love you" as she climbed off his lap and walked out of the kitchen. He sighed and thought how did his life end up like this? He was worried about both of his girls. One for being gone and the other one for how it would simply destroy her if the other one wasn't found and didn't come back home, he didn't even want to think about that possibility. A uselessness feeling rushed over him and with a stab in his heart he felt all hope was lost. He shook his head trying to get rid of that feeling. He knew that he couldn't just sit there and wallow in self-pity so he picked up the phone and called his best friend.

Joe glanced at the caller ID and he answered the phone by saying "Frank." "Hey Joe, I was just wondering if you've heard anything. I'm feeling useless and I don't know what to do. It's gotten so much worse, Valerie just came up to me and apologized for this all being her fault that Stephanie is missing and even though I tried to convince her that she isn't the one to blame for all of this. I don't think I got through to her. She's pretty much hating herself right now and I don't even want to think about what will happen to her if we were never able to find Stephanie." as a tear slid down his cheek at that thought. Joe said "I know and I'm right there with you, but there's not much else we can do. Unfortunately at this point we're in a waiting game. We've done everything that we possibly could do, seeing as we've searched everywhere we could for her, we've got an APB out for her and we've looked at all the tapes from train, bus, and plane stations. This whole thing is just fucked up and I don't understand it. I swear it's like she just disappeared into thin air with no trace. This is hard on all of us but you have to remember that Valerie deep down is as scared as the rest of us and she's trying to put this on her, but just keep telling her that we all love her and that she is absolutely not at fault. Give her a kiss for me and keep your head up, man. Remember this is our little Stephanie that we're talking about here. Remember she's tough as nails and doesn't take crap from anyone. You know that she'll try and fight whoever this is and find a way to get back to us. We have to believe that." Frank agreed by saying "I know we have to keep the faith but it's just so hard, and she's so small. I'm scared." Joe said "Me too. Try and get some rest. You're sounding worn down and you'll be no good to any one like that. I'll let you know when I hear something. Remember positive thoughts Frank, they both need us to be as strong as we can for them." They both agreed and said their goodbyes. Frank rested his arms on the table and laid his head down on them. He tried not to break down again but it's just keeps getting harder and harder to hold it all in. He sat there thinking that it seemed that he hasn't moved from this spot for the past two days. He knew what Joe said about getting some rest was true. He really hadn't slept at all, every time he closed his eyes he saw Stephanie's and he just couldn't get his mind to turn off.

After hearing Frank on the phone Helen walked into the kitchen and came to a complete stop at the sight that was in front of her. She saw her husband in the same position that he's been in since this whole thing started. However, this time he had his head down and looked like he was about to lose it. He looked so lost and that any hope that he was holding on to was gone. Looking at him gave her an uneasy feeling and felt that her world that she had loved so much was about to be rocked and everything was falling apart. She wasn't sure how scared she should be or even what it would mean for all of them. She knew that she had to be strong as well so she gathered up her courage and walked up to him. She placed her hands on his back and gently began stroking them back and forth hoping to bring him a little comfort. As she was doing that she asked if there was any news, silently praying that it wouldn't be the news that she was afraid it was. Frank replied that there wasn't anything new regarding the search, but told her that she needed to sit down so they could talk about something else going on. She sat down in the chair beside him and reached out to touch him, not wanting to lose contact with him. He lifted his head and faced her he grabbed her hands and said with a worried voice "We have a problem, and I tried to fix it but I don't know how well I did. I was completely taken aback by it and didn't realize that it was happening. I allowed myself to get so distracted that I never saw this coming." She quickly interrupted him and said "Frank what is it, what's happening, please tell me. You're scaring me. If this isn't about Stephanie then what is it?" He sighed and said "I know I haven't been but have you paid any attention to Valerie the past couple of days or since this whole thing started?" She stopped and thought about it but honestly couldn't think when that last time she'd even looked at her oldest daughter. She'd been so wrapped up the past two days with what happened to Stephanie, that she really hadn't given her a second thought. She put her head down answered him truthfully by saying "Honestly, no. I haven't seen or said much to her. Is something wrong with her?" He sighed and said "That's what I thought and afraid of. Yes, something is going on with her, she's blaming herself for what happened. She's so convinced that Stephanie's disappearance is her fault and that she was a bad sister for not letting her go outside. She's convinced that if she had let her do that then everything would be fine and Stephanie would be home. After she said it I knew I had to try and convince her that it wasn't, hell, I pretty much yelled at her to listen to me when I said that it wasn't her fault. I still don't think she believes me. Helen, I know that we are both so focused on trying to find Stephanie that's it's taking up all our time and we aren't thinking about anything else, but we need to remember that we have another daughter that is still here with us and needs us desperately. She's hurting just like we are if not more and by us ignoring her we're making it worse. I'm at a loss on what to do to fix this and I'm afraid that if our fears become reality that it will only get worse for her. I just don't know what to do."

Helen stood from her chair and said "Frank I think that there is only one thing to do and I know that you're probably not going to like it but I don't see that we have any other choice. I think we need to bring my mom here so she can help with Valerie and to make sure that she's getting the attention that she needs, we also know that my mom won't allow her to continue to blame herself. I'm really surprised she isn't here already, and that she agreed to stay home when I first talked to her after Stephanie disappeared. She did try to convince me to let her come but I told her no, that we would be fine. Frank it just doesn't look like we can do this on our own any more. We all need help, we're running ourselves ragged." Frank just stared at Helen for a minute and then shocked her by saying "You're absolutely right, I know this has been rough on all of us but I think you need her just as much as Val does. Plus she'll be here just in case we need to travel anywhere. Call her and see if she will come and find out how quick she'll be able to can get here." Helen reached across the table and grabbed the phone and picked up the receiver and dialed her mother's number. Before her Mom could say answer Helen said "Mom, I need you, we need you. We all need your help, is there any way that you can come here?" Her Mom replied "Sweetie, I've been waiting for this call, and I knew it was coming. I'll make some calls and see if I can get on the first plane out of here."

**Making Their Way to Puerto Cabello, Venezuela – About 18 hours After Leaving Trenton **

While being on the plane together for several hours and in between taking naps and sleeping, Osvaldo took the time to get to know Estefania. He opened himself up to her as well and explained to her about where he lives and what her new home would be like. When he told her that he lives near the ocean she got very excited. She told him how much she liked the water and the sand. She became very animated when she was describing how she would build sandcastles. She suddenly got very quiet for a minute and he noticed her eyes got sad. He looked at her and said "Bebe it's OK to think about them and remember the good times you had with them. They will always be a part of who you are, whenever you want to talk about them you can always talk to me or Tomas no matter what. OK?" She put a small smile on her face and then said "OK."

They ended up having to make a quick stop to refuel the plane. While they were getting ready to land Estefania started to get scared and since Tomas was sitting right next to her she grabbed his hand and held on tight until they came to a stop. Tomas gave her a quick hug and then opened the door and headed down the stairs to oversee the refueling. At that moment Osvaldo moved over to where she was and picked her up, he held her so that she could calm down but to also give her a chance to look out the window and watch the men work outside. She saw them and then pointed to the man standing behind everyone and said "Look Tomas." He said "Very good Estefania, that's Tomas." She looked back at him and tried to raise her eyebrow and asked "He coming back?" He laughed and replied "Yes, he will be coming back on the plane, remember that he lives with us and he's going to look after you?" For the first time since they landed she let out a huge smile and her eyes lit up. After about an hour they were done and it was time to take off, Tomas boarded the plane and sat down in one of the chairs. Seeing that Osvaldo had the child in his lap, he looked over at her and smiled. She just smiled back and said "Hi Tomas". He nodded and smiled at her then picked up the phone and told the pilot they were ready and as soon as the plane started moving, Estefania started crying. Osvaldo continued to hold on to her and until they were back in the air. She calmed down enough and she fell asleep and only little hiccups could be heard coming from her.

After a few more hours they finally made it to Venezuela airport and the pilot was requesting permission to land. After talking to the control tower for a few minutes they radioed him that he was the next in line to land in the private section of the Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetia. Then the pilot called back to the cabin to let him know that they were next and would be landing momentarily, everyone got buckled up so they could prepare to land. When Osvaldo was done buckling his belt, he turned to help Estefania who was still sitting beside him on the couch. He noticed by the frantic look on her face that her fears had returned, so he softly asked "Bebe, are you afraid of the plane landing?" and she rapidly bobbed her head up and down. He gently leaned over her and fastened her seat belt then pulled her towards him so she was leaning against him wrapped one arm around her and took her hand with his other hand and then started whispering "_Don't worry my little one. I won't let anything bad ever happen to you. You have come into my life and brought me some light that I never thought could exist. I didn't know what I was going to do with you at first but after first seeing you I knew that I wanted to love you as my own child and that I would will always make sure you are surrounded by people who will love you and protect you as I do. When I first saw your piercing blue eyes they cut deep into my heart and soul. I will never be able to let you go."_ She knew he was talking but she didn't understand what he was saying, although it did calm her down and put her so at ease that she totally forgot what was going on around them. She was so mesmerized by his voice that before she knew it the plane had landed and was going down the runway. At that moment she realized that she could trust them and that they would love and protect her so she looked up at him and said "Thank you Papi." He smiled down at her and said "Your welcome mi corazon". She smiled up at him.

After the plane had come to a complete stop, he unbuckled her seat belt and turned his head to look out the window and said "Estefania, look we are almost home." She pushed away the unbuckled belts and climbed up on his lap so she could see outside as well. All she saw was this really old building and 3 big black SUVs with dark windows in a row. She looked down and said "Papi, all I see are cars." He laughed and said "Si, those are the cars that will take us to our house. We have to ride in them for just a little bit before we will get there. Are you ready to get off the plane and head home?" She looked at him and said "Uh huh." Tomas got up and opened the doors and put the stairs down. Tomas looked back and nodded his head to his boss and walked down the stairs. Estephania could hear Tomas's voice outside but couldn't understand what he was saying. She looked up at Osvaldo with a questioning look and he said "It's OK he's just outside getting everyone ready to help us to get us off the plane and quickly into the cars to get us home faster." Although he knew that what Tomas was really doing what telling the men that whatever they see here is not to be mentioned and making sure that his orders of what's to happen after they leave is carried out. This will absolutely make sure that if by some chance someone figured things out that they will immediately stop looking for her, but then she doesn't need to know all that.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Tomas walking back up the stairs. He told Oslvaldo "_Everything is ready for us to go_." He replied _"Is everything ready for Estefania?_" Tomas said _"Yes, everything is ready. I've also called ahead to the house and made sure everything was prepared for her there as well."_ Osvaldo replied _"Well done, Tomas. I knew that I would be able to count on you to help me and to watch over her."_

Osvaldo stood up reached his hand out to Estefania and said "Let's go sweetheart." She grabbed his hand and together they walked down the stairs. She turned her head to see where Tomas was, and then turned back around when he saw that he was following them with her blanket in his hand. When they reached the bottom of the stairs Osvaldo reached down and picked her up. As he was walking his sent out greetings to his men. They walked up to the SUV in the middle and one of the men opened the backdoor for them. Osvaldo set Estefania in her seat and buckled her up and closed her door. He walked around to the other side and got into the backseat right beside her, as Tomas was climbing into the front seat. Osvaldo tapped the driver on the shoulder and said _"Franco, so you know this is Estefania. I brought her from America and she's going to be living with me as my daughter. Tomas will be her bodyguard and you will be her driver. Any questions?_ Franco shook his head and Osvaldo continued _"Now tell the other drivers it's time to go."_ Franco spoke into his headset and told the other drivers that it was time to go back to Puerto Cabello so their boss can get home. All the SUV's started to move at once and made their way out of the airport and on to Autopista Caracas-La Guaira road preparing for the 2 ½ hour drive.

They had made it a quarter of a mile down the road when one of Osvaldo's men called him and told him that his orders were complete and that they'd taken care of the plane by blowing it up and sending out the proof to those that would find it interesting. When he turned around and saw the big black cloud of smoke in the air he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. He knew at that moment that Estefania was truly his.

I know I said all Spanish would be italicized but I thought for now when he was speaking to her, a couple of things might slip out so here are a couple for those words.

Bebe – Baby

Mi corazon – My heart


	4. Edna Strikes

Thank you to everyone that has continued to read this story, you have no idea how honored I am every time I get that notification that someone has made a comment, mark the story had favorite or followed.

I have to thank my best friend for reviewing each chapter and making sure all mistakes are minimal and for giving me feedback to help me be a better writer.

I figured that since this is a little different than what you are used to that I would post this tonight instead of waiting for Thursday. This chapter only deals with the Plum's side because I felt Edna needed her own chapter. The next chapter will go back to the original way I was telling it and will be posted on Thursday as normal.

Thank you all again for reading, I hope you enjoy it.

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

**Trenton – Edna Strikes**

Edna's plane landed and she took a taxi from the airport to the Plum home since there was no reason to burden them with having someone to pick her up. She figured they needed to be home not waiting on her. When she finally got to the house and walked through the door she realized that the situation was worse than she could have possibly ever imagined. The front door was unlocked and when she walked in she saw that no one was in the living room but it was a mess and the TV was on. She looked in the kitchen and saw Frank sitting at the table with his unshaven weary face propped in his hands and he was just staring at the phone. She looked around and saw that the kitchen was worse than the living room. She didn't say anything to Frank she just backed out and moved to the hallway and took a look at the main bathroom that showed it had not been cleaned lately either. She walked down the hallway and peaked into the first bedroom and saw the saddest site, there was little Valerie just lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. In her effort to assess things before announcing she was there she stepped back away from the door silently. She kept going and came to a room with a closed door. She knew this was Stephanie's room so she didn't understand why the door was shut. She tried to open it but found it was locked, she wondered why. She moved down to Helen and Frank's room and saw that Helen was in there with a glass of some dark liquid in it and the huge Jack Daniels bottle next to her. She had seen enough at that point. She decided that what they needed to do was to stop wallowing in their own self-pity. She yelled at Helen to snap out of it and to go into the kitchen, she passed Valerie's room and told her the same thing, when she got to the kitchen Frank finally looked up with a look of shock on his face. Once they were all in the room she told them to seriously think about what they were all doing and asked them what they thought would happen when they found Stephanie and she came home and had to see all of them looking like shit and moping around like a bunch of pitiful old souls. Then she got up and told them that she was going to stay in a hotel for the night and when she came back tomorrow to be prepared to be whipped into shape and then she walked out the door.

When Edna came back the next morning she knew that she wanted to speak with Valerie first since she wasn't getting any guidance from her parents and figured this had to be harder on her than everyone else. She had already seen what shape the kitchen was and knew that she would need to get groceries for the next part of the plan, so she decided to take Valerie with her. Plus it would do her granddaughter some good to get out of the house for a while, since she doesn't know when the last time that happened was. They decided to stop at one of the local diners and get some breakfast. After they were seated at the table, the waitress came up to them and Edna ordered. She thanked the waitress and then glanced down at Valerie. She had her head down and was looking like the weight of the world was resting on her shoulders. Edna decided that the best way to talk to her was to jump right in and start talking to her about what was going on. Valerie was pretty quiet but Edna could tell that she was listening to her. By the time that their food came, Valerie started talking and was really starting to open up about all the fears that she had regarding Stephanie. After she was done saying everything that was on her mind, Edna spoke up and told her that everything that happened wasn't her fault and pointed out that maybe if she had given in to Stephie's demands and they both had gone outside that it could have been possible they both could have been taken and how did she think her parents would feel about that. Valerie listened to what her grandma had said and realized that she didn't want to think about that and how bad that truly would have been for them. Then Edna finally told her the last thing that she needed to explain to her was that it didn't matter what Val thought about her thinking she was a bad sister, the only person who would ever be allowed to determine that was Stephanie, and she wasn't here so she'd have to wait until she was to find out if that was true. Valerie laughed at little and told her grandma that Stephie would only probably say she was a bad sister for getting her into trouble. At that moment Edna knew that her eldest granddaughter would be OK.

Once Edna and Valerie returned from the store, she sent Valerie off to clean her room. She then walked up to Helen and told her to follow her to the kitchen, after they were both in there Edna put the grocery bags on the table and told her daughter that although what she was going through was one of the hardest things that anyone could possibly imagine, that she had let herself go and had completely stopped taking care of her family. She was still a mother and a wife and she needed to start acting like it. She told Helen that she was taking Frank and Valerie out and that they all would be home at precisely at 6 o'clock on the dot. Then she told her that while they were gone she expected Helen to completely clean her house and to make a real homemade dinner and to have it on the table when they got home. Helen seemed stunned by this and tried to argue, but Edna didn't hear any of it she told Valerie to get her coat on and told Frank to get up and let's go and then they all walked out of the house, leaving Helen completely shocked. She didn't know how her mom could ask her to do what she did, how could she when she could barely think about doing anything at the moment. She also knew that if she didn't do everything that her mom expected her to do that it wouldn't be pretty when they got home. So she picked up the grocery bags putting things away as need but then making sure that what she needed to start dinner was left out. After she got the pot roast in the oven and the potatoes pealed cut and in the pot on low along with all the vegetables sliced and cooking as well she sighed and started on her next task of cleaning the house, after about an hour of cleaning she realized how dirty her house had gotten in such a short time and how badly she had neglected her responsibilities. She silently thanked her mom for making her do this and not only because of the realization of how bad it was but because for a little bit in time she was able to focus on something other than her own miserable life and how bad things were for her. She didn't know what was going to happen but one thing she did know was that she was ashamed of herself and vowed that she could never allow herself to go back to the way she was. When Edna, Frank, and Valerie walked through the door at 6 O'clock after being where ever they had been, they smelled the food first then saw how clean the house was. Helen greeted them, freshly showered and looking very much like her old self. She told everyone that dinner would be on the table in 5 minutes and that they all needed to go wash up and then hurry up and sit down so they eat before the roast got dried out. As everyone was going to get washed up Helen walked up to her mom and gave her the biggest hug that she could possibly give her and then walked into the kitchen to start bringing out the food to the dining room.

After Frank, Edna, and Valerie left the house, Frank had no clue what was going on but figured that at least he was getting out of the house. It had only been a few days since their life was turned upside down as well as how badly that Helen had let the house go, but he didn't have the energy to say anything to her or do anything for himself. He knew they were drowning in their sorrows but he didn't know what to do or how to fix it, he was almost at the end of his rope. He kept thinking that there hadn't been any ransom notes or calls and no type of threats against him or Joe so what could possibly be happening to Stephanie. Edna brought him out of his thoughts by telling him to drive them to Chuck E Cheese. Frank had looked like she lost her mind but Edna knew that by going there Valerie would be occupied long enough for her to be able to talk to Frank. Once he pulled in and parked, they all got out of the car. Valerie looked like she was finally starting to feel better since she seemed excited to be there which made Frank happy. She tried to rush to the door but Edna grabbed her hand and gave her a stern look, Valerie quickly slowed down and started to walk to the entrance. Edna knew that she was excited but they couldn't have Valerie run off especially since they didn't know what was going on. Since it was a school day and most of the kids had been in school it wasn't very crowded so Edna was able to walk up to the cashier order their food and get a bunch of tokens so Valerie could play the games. When they picked out a table Edna gave Valerie a handful of tokens to use but reminded her to stay close and check in. Valerie understood just like she understood the look that her grandma gave outside. She needed to be careful.

Edna then turned to Frank who was just looking around trying to figure out why he came here. She got his attention and told him that they needed to have a serious talk. She told him that enough was enough and that he needed to snap out of it and to start acting like the head of his family instead of being a jackass. She asked him how long he planned to sit at the kitchen table just staring at the phone hoping it would ring. She wanted to know when the last time he even did anything except sit at that table. If he wasn't even able to take care of himself, how did he ever expect to take care of the family he had left who was going through the same thing he was? He was at a loss for words and he really didn't know how to answer her. She continued by saying even though this situation was horrible and one of the worst things that a parent will ever have to go through and even though he should never give up trying to find Stephanie, he needs to find the balance in his life that allows him time to himself for his sanity but also still allows him to continue his search for Stephanie. Frank knew that she was right but he really didn't know how to do that. Edna then asked him if he was completely out of the military, he explained that he was done with the missions and that he was almost finally out. He needed to finish up some paperwork that had been neglected. She inquired if he had to go away to complete the paperwork or could it be done in Trenton, he told her that it could be done in Trenton. She told him that he need to do it and then told him to go the next day and get it done. Then she told him that when he got home he needed to tell his wife that he was taking her out to dinner. She told him not to worry about Valerie that she would take care of her. She reminded him that he needed to be strong for his family and they needed to come together instead of drifting apart like they had been. That it was his job as the head of the house to do what he could to repair his family and that he needed to do it before it got any worse.

Their food was finally delivered and they called Valerie over so they could eat. Frank sat there while he was eating and started to think about everything that Edna had told him, he looked up at his daughter and realized that she had a small smile on her face. That gave him some hope that maybe they could still have some normalcy in their life while still keeping the hope they would find Stephanie. He understood how close he came to almost losing the rest of his family and he didn't want that to happen so after they were done eating he grabbed the rest of the tokens and went off to play with his eldest child. After all the tokens were used they realized it was time to head home, Frank couldn't remember the last time that he had smiled was, his heart ached of Stephanie missing and he would still do everything in his power to find her, but he needed to take care of his family as well.

When they got home and walked in the door to a clean home and the smell of food in the air, and when he saw his wife looking more like her old self, he knew then that the best thing that could have ever happened was Helen calling her mother even though he hadn't been sure at the time. He knew that whatever the future held that together as a family they would be able to handle it.


	5. Devastating News&Estefania Getting Home

Thank you to everyone that has continued to read this story, you have no idea how honored I am every time I get that notification that someone has made a comment, mark the story had favorite or followed.

I have to thank my best friend for reviewing each chapter and making sure all mistakes are minimal and for giving me feedback to help me be a better writer.

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

Authors Note:

Spanish conversations are italicized; however there are quite a few words that I've translated. I felt it was needed in order for them to start teaching Estefania Spanish. I don't generally like to translate but figured small amounts should be OK. If it's too confusing and you want me to skip that part in the future just let me know.

**Trenton –A week later - Getting the Devastating News**

Joe Juniak sat in his office and slammed the phone down, he couldn't believe what the Commander had told him and then for him to say that they had irrefutable proof is was shocked him the most. He promised they would send him the folder, but thought it was best that he called him first just so he wasn't taken by surprise. He pushed away from behind his desk and stood up with his anger getting the better of him he flung everything off his desk and just screamed. He was just waiting for people to start coming in his office but thank God that when picked up the call he had the sense to lock the door so he wouldn't be disturbed. He fell back into his chair and just couldn't believe it. He started to feel numb as he thought to himself why the fuck did this have to happen and just when the Plum family had just started to have a little normalcy in their life, although he knew they were still searching for her and holding out hope, they had started acting more as a family again. Once Edna had got a hold of them they were finally coming together and supporting each other. The Commander explained it to Joe that he felt the news would be better coming from him, since he's a close family friend. Joe tried to argue with him that he was just as emotional and didn't know if he would be able to handle it, but the Commander wasn't budging and gave him no other choice.

He thought that the best way to do it was just to go over there and tell them, they deserved to know and he shouldn't wait any longer. He thought God this was going to kill them all. He decided to call Frank to find out if he should speak to them together or just Frank. He picked up the phone and dialed the house number. Edna answered "Plum residence." Joe replied "Hey Edna, its Joe can I speak to Frank please?" Edna hesitated like she knew something was wrong and said "Sure hold on I'll go get him." Then he heard the phone being put down and the background noise of Edna telling Frank he had a phone call. Frank picked up the phone and said "Hello?" "Frank, this is Joe. I have some news and it would be best if I did it in person and I wasn't sure if you wanted to do it in front of the family or just the two of us." Frank said "Joe, oh shit this isn't going to be good it is? I'll make sure that it's just us. I know Helen is getting ready to leave and I can just tell her to take Valerie and Edna with her, so you can come over and we can talk here. Since they already know that it's you that called and they can tell that something's going on so I'm going to convince them to go out. Give me about 15 minutes." Joe agreed and said he'd see him in 20-25 just in case they wanted to fight about going. Joe showed up exactly 20 minutes later and knocked on the door and then opened it like so many times before and now he was about to destroy his best friends life. Frank walked into the living room when he heard the door open and saw the look on Joe's face and turned around and went straight to cabinet and got two glasses and then set them on the kitchen table. He then walked over to the liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Jack and brought it back to the table setting it down beside the glasses. He filled both glasses and set one in front of one seat and then set the other in front of him. He sat at the table and wondered if he was about to hear the news he'd been dreading. He grabbed the drink and downed it looking at Frank doing the same thing. Frank said "They've agreed to stay away for about 2 hours, I was right they figured out something is going on and that you coming over here to give me some news. Now, what the hell has happened?"

Joe grabbed the bottle and filled both glasses and handed Frank's to him and downed it. As Joe had followed Frank earlier, Frank did the same and downed his as well. Joe put his head in his hands and started to speak "Frank, I just got a call from the Commander." Frank interrupted said "She's gone, isn't she?" Joe replied "Honestly yes, she's gone." Frank broke down and cried, Joe reached over to try and console him the best he could. He didn't know how to handle this himself let alone seeing his best friend break down like this. He had no clue how was he supposed to keep it together as he was giving him the worst possible news that a parent could ever get. Frank said through his tears "Do you know the how and the why?" Joe said "Yeah I do. Here's the thing, I can tell you what I know or if you'd rather wait in a couple of days I'll be getting the official report, which apparently has the proof of what happened." Frank hung his head down and sobbed. After what seemed like hours but in reality was just minutes, Frank finally said the most terrifying words that he's ever had to say "Joe, tell me how my Stephanie died." Joe looked up at him and said "Are you really sure you want to hear this?" Frank just nodded his head. Joe began by saying "Do you remember Eduardo Jiménez?" Frank looked up at him with a shocked look on his face and said "Shit, yeah I remember him. He was the son of a bitch that we killed a few years ago for drug smuggling." Joe sighed and continued "Yeah he's the one. He's still dead but his son that's our age named Osvaldo, kind of followed in his father's footsteps. Instead of drugs though he's deals in weapons. Apparently, he's let it well known that he was looking to get revenge against the men that killed his father. They are supposed to be keeping track of the whole damn family, but one Osvaldo's plane was able to slip through the cracks and flew into Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania undetected. They were able to capture one of his guys on camera getting off the plane and straight into a blue car. It took some doing and I don't know how they were able to do it but they were able to find cameras that showed his movement. They were able to track him all the way to Trenton two days before Stephanie disappeared. Then they tracked him heading back to the same airport on the same day that she was taken. In fact he showed up there a couple of hours after she was gone. They were able to find the guard who was on duty that day and got his reports for that day and then showed him a picture of Stephanie. He said he remembered that he did see her and that she was sleeping in back of the car in a car seat when the guy pulled up to the guard shack. The guy made the comment about how exhausted she was from her first trip to America but that she was ready to get home. The guard said that they guy had all the right paperwork and that their passports even had the same last name and looked official, which is why he never questioned it. Right before the plane took off he was seen carrying the child on the plane and there are pictures showing him holding the small child in his arms wrapped up in a blanket." Joe stopped there pausing knowing that what was coming up next was going to be even harder to say, but before he continue Frank stopped him and said "Holy Fuck Joe, he took my little girl. Who was he and what happened that makes them say that she's dead." Joe looked at him and continued with "According to the guard's report his name is Alejandro Rodriguez. The best that can be guessed is he was one of Osvaldo's henchmen. To answer your other question after the plane made it to Venezuela and was going down the runway after landing someone launched a rocket missile at it and hit the side of the plane blowing it up. Intel says that is was one of Osvaldo's enemies that knew it was his plane and thought that he was on it. They determined that moment would have been their best chance to eliminate him. They knew that since the plane was still on the runway there would have been no way for anyone to see it coming and no way for anyone to have gotten off since it never made it to the terminal. The kicker was that Osvaldo wasn't even on the plane and they didn't find that out until after it happened. The powers that be are afraid now that there will be retaliation but they don't know when or how. The Commander told me that the pictures were horrible and show the plane completely destroyed and burning while still rolling down the runway." After Joe finished he stood up and grabbed Frank and pulled him into a hug as both men started crying uncontrollably.

Neither man heard the front door open, nor did they hear anyone come into the kitchen. They didn't realize that anyone was there until the heard Helen ask "What was going on?" They looked up at the same time and realized they were still hugging. They stepped back from each other and Frank moved toward Helen. She took one look at her husband approaching her and started backing away shaking her head no. She started to say something but she couldn't find her voice. Edna walked in and saw the site before her and just sat down at the table put her head down and cried. No words were needed, it was known by the looks on the guys faces. Helen had finally stopped backing away and quietly asked "How". Frank walked up to her hugged her and whispered "She was on a plane that was blown up."

**Puerto Cabello, Venezuela –Finally getting home**

After Osvaldo was given the news he sat back happy knowing that at this point everything would turn out the way he planned. He knew that having those fake ID's created for Tomas and Estefania was the best thing he could have done. It will make everything much easier. He needed to make sure that Tomas understood what had just happened and that he will be able to live without having to hide or change his name. Osvaldo spoke to the man in the front seat and said _"Do you know what happened back there?" _Tomas said "_I'm not sure, but I think I have a pretty good idea. I believe you blew up your own plane because you wanted it to seem like her and I were still on the plane and died during the explosion. I also know that the ID's I gave the guard were fake names so then after the plane blew up it wouldn't seem like I was the one on the plane but that Alejandro was and he's the man that died. The only questions I have are why and who's being told." _Osvaldo replied "_You're very smart Tomas, your thoughts are correct. They why is simple my boy, I figured it would be easier for you to have introduced yourself to Estefania as you so she wouldn't get confused later, but with my plan I knew you needed to be someone else so it didn't seem like you were dead. The question as to who is being told, well basically the whole world thinks that Alejandro and Estefania Rodriguez died on that plane. There will be pictures of you and her getting on the plane and then pictures of the plane landing and then getting blown up. What is being announced is that one of my enemies blew it up thinking that I was on it." _Tomas said "_That's brilliant, sir. They think she is dead and will stop looking for her." _Osvaldo looked at Tomas and told him "_We will still have to be careful for the first couple of years since I'm sure my every move will be watched. But yes it will be much better now. Now the other thing that I wanted to speak to you about is I want Estefania to start learning Spanish and since besides me she'll be around you the most we need to start mixing our words and having her repeat them. The quicker she learns the better." _Tomas nodded his head in agreement.

They continued down the road and after what seemed forever they finally reached the city limits, Osvaldo looked over at Estefania he wanted to show her the city that she will be living in, but he saw she was sleeping. He sat there and watched her for a few minutes mesmerized by how peaceful and angelic she looked in her seat. He couldn't wait until they got to their compound for her to see it, knowing how excited she would be to explore. Their compound he thought it surprised him by how quickly and easily he fit her into his. He reached over and gently stroked her face and whispered "Estefania, it's time for you to wake up so you can see your beautiful city that you will be living in._" _She moaned and said "No, tired want to sleep." Osvaldo laughed and replied back to her "You don't want to see the oceano?" She opened her eyes and looked at him and repeated "oceano?" He said "Si, Yes oceano means ocean in our language. You said that muy bien or very well." She smiled and said "Thank you" Tomas turned around and said "Gracias." She repeated "Gracias." Osvaldo beamed at her and said "Excellent, I'm proud of you Bebe. Now if you look around you'll see your city. Papi owns a lot of it and one day it will all be yours." Estefania looked sad for a second but then quickly covered it up and looked down. Osvaldo picked up on it and said "Estefania, are you thinking about your old family, it's OK you know. Do you want to talk about it?" She shook her head no and said "Oceano." Osvaldo looked at her and gently turned her head for her to look out of her window where she could see it between the buildings. She got so excited she jumped up and down in her seat. They were all laughing at how she excited she was, she kept looking out of her window and the window on the other side of her. When they turned on to the road that Osvaldo's compound was she saw a huge gate. She looked over at Osvaldo as they were going through the gates with wide questioning eyes. He smiled and said "Nuestra casa, our home. These gates protect us from anyone outside of the gates that may try to cause harm to us. You must never go beyond the gates alone. You must only go outside of them with Tomas, Franco, or me. Do you understand mi princesa or my princess?" She nodded and said "What's yes." He replied "Si." She smile and in a loud strong voice she said "Si, I understand papi." Then she laughed and screamed. We all turned to look at her to see what made her scream, and then she yelled "OCEANO! Look Papi look, it's the oceano. It's so pretty. Can I go see it, please please please!" As they drove up to the house she could see the water perfectly. Osvaldo caught up in her excitement said "Si, Estefania. After we get settled in the house, I will take you to see the agua water. OK?" She rapidly nodded her head up and down. With that the car pulled into the garage and came to a stop, Osvaldo got out of the car walked around to unbuckle her from her seat. As he was picking her up Tomas got out and walked over to the door and opened it up and looked at Estefania and said "Welcome home dulce nina, sweet girl." She replied "Gracias Tomas." She looked up at Osvaldo and smiled proudly and said "See Papi I'm learning." "Si, you are. You make me so proud."

When they walked into the house and Estefania looked around and saw the huge living room and she said with surprise "Wow our house is so big." Osvaldo replied "Yes it is. Would you like to go see your room?" She nodded. They walked through the living room up to a huge spiraling staircase. He walked up the stairs and down the hallway. They passed 2 doors on the left and 1 door on the right. When they came up to the 2nd door on the right he stopped at the closed door and said "Behind this door is your room, my room is across the hall and Tomas's room is the one in front of mine. Are you ready to see your room?" Stephanie nodded and said "Si, Papi I'm ready." He put her down and opened the door. He wanted to let her walk in on her own so she knew that it was her space. She walked in and started spinning around in circles looking at her room. She said "Papi, is this all mine?" Osvaldo nodded and said "Yes, mi dulce nina." She screamed happily and looked around her room the first thing she noticed was the French doors that went out to a balcony. They were slightly open; she took in a deep breath and smelled the salty air. To the left of the doors she saw her bed that was in the corner. It was a white-gold finished pumpkin carriage with a full sized bed. Covering over and down the carriage was a white lace tent canopy. It had light pink satin sheets and comforter with matching pillowcases and duvet. After walking over to the bed and touching it she looked around and saw the walls were painted a little darker pink than what was on her bed and her carpet was the same color as the walls. She noticed a couch and matching rocking chair that were white but had specks of pink in them the same color as her bed. She saw what looked like a hallway to her right that went past the couch so she walked over to it, when she got close enough it lit up and she saw a huge walk in closet that was already fully stocked with clothes. Her eyes got really big looking at all the clothes and she said "So pretty." She turned around and started to walk out of the closet when she saw a door that was partially closed. She looked up at Osvaldo who was standing beside her and nodded his permission. She opened it and saw that it was a bathroom. He explained "This is only yours." She looked closer and saw a huge circular bathtub that had windows behind it that looked out to the ocean, the sink was next to the tub and was a part of a cabinet looking thing that had drawers, and there was a step stool right in front of the sink that would allow her to reach it. There was an open door that showed where the toilet was. Osvaldo at that point said "I didn't think you would want a shower yet so I only put in a bathtub. If at any time you want a shower we can build you one. OK?" Showing how excited she was she said "YES! I love the tub!." He laughed grabbed her hand and said "Come on let's go meet Maria."

They walked out together and saw an older woman standing by a door that was on left side of the room. She smiled and started talking "_Estefania, my dear child look at you. You are so beautiful and precious. You have eyes the color of the ocean and I will take excellent care of you."_ Osvaldo spoke back to her "_Maria, Estefania doesn't know how to speak Spanish yet but that will be something that we will all be working on. For now we are just introducing only words to her. She's smart and I'm sure she will pick it up quickly, with all of us working with her. As you know Tomas will be her bodyguard but I have assigned Franco as her chauffeur. If you take her off the compound for any reason both men will be with you understand?" _Maria nodded her head and said "_Yes, I understand." _Osvaldo said "_Good, _Estefania this is Maria she will help take care of you when I have to work or go away on business trips. The door that she is standing by is her room. That was the first door that you saw on the right. Can you say Hola, Hello Estefania?" She looked at Maria and said "Hola, Maria." Maria put her hand over her mouth and wanted to scream but instead rushed up to her and gave her a big hug and said "Hola, Estefania. It is a pleasure to meet you. You are a beautiful child and I'm going to take excellent care of you." Estefania hugged her back and said "Gracias." Then she turned to Osvaldo who was now standing by Tomas and said excitedly "We go to the beach now?" Osvaldo laughed and said "Yes we can go now. Maria will help you get your suit on and all of your stuff together, and then we'll head to la playa or the beach." With that he lead Tomas out of the room closed that door behind them so that she could get ready. For the first time in a long time he was looking forward to going on the beach and playing with Estefania.


	6. Memorial Service & Getting Comfortable

Thank you to everyone that has continued to read this story, you have no idea how honored I am every time I get that notification that someone has made a comment, mark the story had favorite or followed. I appreciate them all.

I have to thank my best friend for reviewing each chapter and making sure all mistakes are minimal and for giving me feedback to help me be a better writer.

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

Authors Note:

Spanish conversations are italicized; I know I probably rushed her speaking complete Spanish but I felt with her being so young and them speaking to her in the language that she would pick it up early, plus we all know our little Estefania is really smart.

**Trenton – Planning and Attending the Memorial Service**

After Helen and Edna came into the kitchen and while Frank was making sure that Valerie was in her room first, Joe got up from the table as he decided to leave so Frank could tell his family in private. They passed each in the all and gave each other a nod. Frank went back into the kitchen and proceeded to tell Helen and Edna the basic information of what happened to Stephanie. Frank and Joe decided they didn't need to know the whole story or any of graphic details, they thought that it would be too painful and wouldn't be good for them. Frank also had another reason for not telling them, he was afraid that Helen would blame him since this was his fault. Once Joe had told him that it was someone looking for revenge against him and that's why she was taken felt the huge wave of guilt come over him. He didn't know how he would ever be the same and wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to recover. He knew he would have to because his family needed him.

After everything was explained Helen looked over at Frank and said "I think we should start planning a memorial service for her, since there isn't a body we can't have a funeral. The sooner we do it the better so that we all would finally get the closure this family deserves and it would help us try to move on with our lives." He looked at her like she had grown a second head and replied "What do you mean move on with our lives? I don't think I'll ever be able to do that. I also think we should hold off until we get the reports so Joe and I can look over them to see if we can possibly catch something that someone may have missed that would give us any indication that Steph may still be alive." Helen tried to argue back by saying "Really Frank, I know this is hard and losing a child is horrible and I feel awful but nothing we do will bring her back and we can't forget about the child that we have. What is it that you think that you could possibly find that they nobody else was able to?" Edna getting angry at her daughter's reaction said "Helen you are out of line, how dare you just dismiss Stephanie like she's yesterday's trash, this is your flesh and blood, your daughter she deserves some respect. Frank I think what you are asking for is definitely within reason and I agree with you 100%. If there is any hope that she could still be alive then between the two of you you'll find it." Frank nodded his head and said "Thanks Edna I appreciate you backing me with this." Helen got a sour look on her face and said "Fine, when you two deem it appropriate for me to start making the arrangements then you'll let me know until then I will not be discussing anything that has to do with this." Then she stormed out of the kitchen and went straight to her room and slammed the door.

At that point Valerie walked into the kitchen and looked around trying to figure out what just happened and why her mommy had just run out of the kitchen and slam her bedroom door. Frank held out his arms hinting for her to climb up in his lap. She did as he requested and he looked in her eyes and explained what had happened to Stephanie. She took the news better than expected and didn't cry at all. Everyone in the room was kind of surprised. To Frank it almost seemed like she was relieved that they finally knew what had happened, she did appear to be sad that Stephanie wasn't coming but when she was told that they were waiting for the reports before deciding to do any type of service, she just shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal and walked away like she couldn't be bothered anymore. Her attitude disturbed the two of them but then they all thought that maybe this was her way of dealing with what happened to her sister.

For the next couple days Helen and Valerie were attached at the hip and got really good at pretending that everything was normal. They would talk to Frank and Edna but if they tried to bring Stephanie's name up they would act like they didn't hear them or would just walk away pretending that they had something else that needed their attention and Helen had truly stuck to her word and wouldn't discuss anything to do with Stephanie or what had happened to her and dragged Valerie right along with her.

Finally on the third day they were all sitting at the table eating lunch in complete silence when the phone rang. Helen jumped up to get the phone since they had moved it off the table and over to the counter. She answered quickly "Plum residence" "Hey Helen, this is Joe. Can I talk to Frank?" She didn't respond just pointed the phone to Joe and dropped the receiver on the counter. Frank sighed and picked it up "Hello?" "Frank, this is Joe. I take it the ice queen is still having issues with everyone?" Frank tried not to laugh at that but a little snicker sneaked out and said "Yep, not sure what I can do anymore. Did you get anything yet?" Joe replied "Yes, I just got the reports, but I was thinking that it might be a better idea for you to come to the office instead of me coming there. Helen would probably do nothing but glare at us and distract us, plus it would give her the whole story." Frank thought about it and said "I agree, give me about 10 minutes and I'll be over there." He then hung up the phone and looked at his family and said "The reports came in and I'm going over to head over to Joe's office so we can review them, I don't know when I'll be home. I'm sure we're going to try to cover everything today so that we don't have to drag it out." and then he grabbed his keys and walked out the house.

Frank showed up at the police station 10 minutes later as promised and walked to Joe's office. Joe already had all the papers from the report all over his desk. He looked up when Frank walked in and said "Are you ready for this?" Frank got a sad expression on his face and said "Not really but we need to do it for our own peace of mind. I also told Helen that I would be here a while and that we wouldn't stop until we were done." Joe nodded and said "Well so far I've separated all the documents by dates and put them in their own piles. Do you want to look at each pile together or divvy them up between us?" Frank thought about it and then said "I think it would be better if we each look at a pile on our own. That way we each get to look at it in case the other misses something." "Frank, that sounds like a plan. Let's get to it." So they each grabbed a pile and started looking at the evidence that had been compiled. They both quickly realized that in order for them to read these reports and do a thorough job of reviewing them, they had to take out the personal aspect of it.

After a few hours they had each gone over the piles, Joe looked at Frank and said "We've both been over these and I don't know about you but I haven't found anything. So here's the question do you want to give up or do you want to go grab some dinner come back and start again?" Frank looked down at the pictures in front of him that were of his little girl and said "I'm not ready to give up yet, something just doesn't seem right." Joe nodded his head and said "Let's go get some pizza and then we'll come back and look some more." They both reluctantly got up lingering at one last glance of Stephie's picture and headed out the door. After they were finished with dinner and headed back to the office, they felt they had recovered enough to start again. They went over every piece of paper and every picture with a vengeance and after 4 more hours of taking notes and comparing them, they finally conceded that the evidence clearly, stated and showed that Stephanie was indeed gone. Frank said "I just don't understand it, I just have a feeling that she's not gone but everything clearly shows that she is. Guess it's time to go home and face the music. Thanks Joe for everything that you've done." Joe nodded his head in agreement, there wasn't more that he could do other than that. Frank weakly smiled at Joe and walked out of his office.

It was almost 10 pm by the time he got home, he walked in the door and all the lights were out. He walked down the hall into his room where Helen was already asleep. When he sat down on the bed, she slightly woke up and said "Well?" Frank couldn't speak so he just shook his head, Helen understanding just sighed and put her hand on his back and said "I'll get all the arrangements started tomorrow and we'll do it as quickly as possible." He nodded and then stood up and got ready for bed.

The next day Frank woke up hearing Helen on the phone talking to the funeral home, she was right about the funeral what the hell would they bury, it would have been an empty casket. He heard her mention to them to just expect it to be a full house and to assign the big room. He knew that she wasn't going to spare any expense for this, even though this was about Stephanie, for her it was more of a status and appearance thing. He thought that lately she'd come to love the attention she was getting from the neighborhood. He knew that at the service she would play the grieving mother and relish in getting everyone's sympathy. She heard that they were setting it for two days from today. That way it could run in the paper tomorrow and everyone would know. Frank laughed to himself and thought the minute Helen walked out of the house everyone would know. This definitely was a neighborhood that thrived on gossip and being in everyone's business. He thought that he would just stay inside for the day and let the world pass by him. So he sat in his favorite chair and didn't move until it was time to eat but after dinner was over he went right back to his chair until it was time for bed.

After the newspaper came out the next day the calls started, the phone kept ringing non-stop, Helen took it as her personal mission to make sure she was the one who answered every call. Then when people started showing up at the house Helen assigned Edna and Valerie as the ones to greet everyone at the door. In her mind they were taking on the roles of the grieving grandmother and sister. Valerie seemed to take her role as hostess like she was born for it. The people never stayed long only long enough to give them their sympathy and ask if there was anything they could do and what a tragedy this was. Valerie would always thank them and say she didn't know of anything right now but that she would let her mother know that they offered and that she would see them tomorrow at the service. Finally late in the afternoon everything started to slow down and they were able to rest. Knowing that the next day would be the hardest one that they would have to face.

They woke up early the next morning, got dressed in their black clothes and sat down to eat breakfast. After making sure everyone had been served Helen sat down and looked at her family and started thinking about Stephanie, and as much stress that Stephanie had caused her she was never coming back, she would never be able to hold her or try to untangle her wild curls or have to worry about yelling at her again for getting her clothes dirty or for not behaving like a proper young lady. Suddenly she broke down at the table and just started crying, pretty soon everyone at the table was crying. When they heard the doorbell, Valerie jumped up and opened it wiping her eyes. She looked up and said "Hi Uncle Joe." He reached down and picked her up and said "Hey sweet Valerie." then gave her a kiss on her forehead. He asked her "Is everyone ready to go?" She nodded her head and pointed to the kitchen. Still holding her, he tucked her into him and walked to the kitchen. When he walked in Helen, Frank, and Edna looked at him holding Valerie and they all started crying even more. He said "Time to go. I've got a car big enough for all of us to fit in and I'll be driving you since I know none of you are up for it." They thanked him and then got up left the table the way it was and gathered their stuff and walked out the door. The funeral home had gotten a picture of Stephanie and blown it up. They had decorated the big room for her service and it was a packed house. The whole town was there to show their support for this grieving family that has suffered a tragic loss. The service itself didn't last very long, no one really know much about her or had much to say about her since she was so young. Afterwards their neighbors and some of their church friends gathered at the Plum home for food and final remembrance of the life of Stephanie Michelle Plum.

**Puerto Cabello, Venezuela – Getting Comfortable**

Estefania was adjusting well to her new life. Osvaldo told Maria that he wanted Estefania to learn Spanish as quickly as possible. So she made it a rule that while some English was allowed, everyone should speak mainly Spanish to her. She said that by being made to listen and try to respond with it that she would learn the language quicker. Everyone agreed, so that's what they did. The one thing that Estefania loved about being there was that she lived right on the beach and that Maria took her every day. Tomas was always either with them or was watching them, he knew that was his job to never let her out of his site. Most days Osvaldo couldn't go with them, which Estefania understood since he said that he had to work, so the days that he did go she relished. He would play with her in the sand and then he would go in the water with her, always making sure that she had the time of her life.

About two weeks after Estefania had been there Osvaldo called her into his room. She came running into his room and jumped on his bed. He sat beside her and said _"My princess I need to go away for a little bit_, _I have to go out of town for business trip."_ She started to cry. He grabbed her from beside him and held her in his lap and said "_My sweet girl, why are you crying?_" She looked at him and said "_Papi, I cry because I'm sad you will be gone." _He looked at her face and said "_I know you, _I will be as well and I will miss you more than you will know, but you won't be alone you will have Maria and Tomas_. Please don't be sad, _it's only for a few day, I promise that it will be no longer than a week and how about I bring you back something special what do you think about that?_" _She smiled and jumped up and wrapped her arms around him and said "_I would like that, but I will like it more when you come back home." _He hugged her back and said "_I will need to leave in the morning but I'm yours for the remainder of the day. What would you like to do? _" She got a look in her eye that he knew very well, he laughed and said "Let me guess you want to go on the beach and have a picnic and then later you want something simple for dinner like hot dogs and macaroni and cheese while we watch Ghostbusters. How close am I?" She smiled at him knowingly and nodded her head up and down. So that's exactly what they did.

A week later, Osvaldo wanted to surprise Estefania so he didn't let anyone know that he was coming home, so he quietly entered the house looking around for her. The maid saw him and said "_She is on the beach with Maria. Tomas is on the deck watching them." _He thanked her and then walked out to where Tomas was. He shook Tomas's hand and looked out to see her playing in the sand. He smiled and called her name. She looked up hearing her name being called and saw him, she stood up and then started running as fast as she could. When she finally got to him he had bent down to her level and she ran right into his arms and said _"Papi, your home. I can't believe that you are finally home. I've missed you. I'm so glad that you are home." _He leaned back a little and replied "_My princess I've missed you too and I'm definitely glad to be home. What did you do while I was gone?" _She said "_We went to the beach every day and then we played with my toys." _He laughed at how excited she was and said "_You know you're going to turn into a mermaid, if you continue to spend hours at the beach._" She laughed and then without thinking said "M_ermaids aren't real silly, I know because my mommy told me._" She put her hand over her mouth quickly when she said that and looked up at him with these really apologetic and sad eyes. Osvaldo quickly moved her hand off her mouth and said "_Now my princess, what have I told you. I don't expect you to forget them, and I'm sure that they've taught you many things, and yes your mommy was right there is no such thing as mermaids. I was just making a joke, because you have been going to the ocean every day._" He bent down to give her a hug and whispered "_How about since I haven't been home you and I go to a nice restaurant? Would you like that?_" Her eyes got wide and she nodded her head _"Oh yes, Papi. I haven't gone anywhere outside of the house since we got here_." "_I'm truly impressed with your Spanish has gotten really good, I'm really proud of you. Now go tell Maria to get you dressed up in your prettiest dress and as soon as you're ready we'll go, I know the perfect place to take you my water princess._" She gave him a full belly laugh and told him "_Thank you Papi, I've been working really hard while you were gone." S_he gave him a quick hug and kisses and then ran up the stairs and into her room yelling for Maria. The woman in question came out and asked her "_What's all this noise my child?_" Estefania ran up to her still yelling "_Papi said we could go out to dinner. I'm supposed to get my best dress on so we can have a nice dinner. I'm excited I get to go out._" and she continued to go on until Maria finally said "Estefania, stop rambling." Estefania immediately stopped and looked at her. Maria took her hand and walked her into her closet and said "_OK, let's see what we can find. You need to take a bath and get all the sand from the day off and we'll get you ready to go on a date with your Papi. How does that sound_." Estefania nodded and said "_Perfect!_"

While she was getting ready Osvaldo was making reservations at one of his favorite restaurants, although it wasn't in Puerto Cabello it was in the next town from them in Valencia. He told Tomas his plans so he could send one of the other bodyguards ahead to make sure that the place would be fully secure.

After about an hour Estefania and Maria came down the stairs. Osvaldo looked at Estefania and said "_My princess you look absolutely beautiful. I am honored to have you by my side. Maria, thank you for getting her ready, I truly appreciate it. My dear are you ready?_" "_Yes Papi, I'm ready. Can you tell me where we are going_?" He replied "_Yes, one of my favorite places. We have to go into the next city. To a restaurant called El Meson de la Carne._ _I think you will like it._" He took her hand and walked her out of the house and over to his private car. She looked at him funny and said "_We will have Tomas with us but I want to drive us on our date." _She smiled up at him and he put her in her car seat and buckled her in. Tomas got in next to her and Osvaldo got into the driver's seat. They drove for a little bit and when they finally got there and pulled into the parking lot Estefania noticed two things the huge outdoor seating and the playground beside it. After Osvaldo found a spot close enough to the building, he parked the car and got out. Estefania had already unbuckled her seat and was waiting for him to let her out of the car. He picked her up and she looked all around and said "_Papi, look there are kids over there playing on the playground can I go over there and play with them?" _He said "_Not right now my princess but maybe after dinner you can go and meet some new friends." _She replied "_OK, I am hungry._" As her stomach started growling, they all laughed and headed into the restaurant. He asked her "_Do you want to sit outside or do you want to sit inside?" _"_Can we sit outside it's so pretty."_ He nodded his head and told the hostess "_My princess wants to sit outside so we need the best table that you have out there." _The hostess hurriedly told the bus boys to make sure the best table was ready and then led them to it. Estefania noticed that people kept staring at them as they were walking to the table. She could hear a few people whispering and saw them point over at them. She wasn't sure what was going on so she whispered in Osvaldo's ear "_Papi, why are these people staring, whispering and pointing at us?_" He whispered back to her "_Because they are taken by your beauty and want to know who you are and why you are with me?"_ Accepting that answer she started looking around again. Once seated at their table and the waitress came over and they ordered their drinks. Once she came back with the drinks, Osvaldo ask Estefania "_Do you trust me?_" She replied _"Always, Papi." _He told the waitress to bring an assortment of their seasoned meats and some of their creole seasoned seafood. Estefania's eye went wide at all the food he ordered and he just looked at her and said "_I want you to taste everything that you possibly can, so you will always want to experience the best of life." _She smiled at him and nodded. When their food finally came, the whole table was filled. He began to give a sample of the beef, pork, and lamb that they got, as well as the shrimp and fish. After each bite she let him know what she liked and what she didn't. By the time she was done sampling all the food she said "_Papi, I'm too full to go to the playground, but can we come back so I can play on it?" _He looked at her and said "_Anything for you my princess anything for you_, _just say the word and we will come back._" He got the check and put enough cash to cover the food and a generous tip and they walked out of the outdoor patio and to the car. Estefania struggled not to fall asleep on the way home, by the time they pulled into the drive she could barely keep her eyes open. Osvaldo carried her up to her room, helped her get her pajamas on and tucked her into bed. As he told her goodnight she said "_Thank you Papi for tonight, I'm glad you're home." _He said "_Me too my love, me too" _Then as he gave her a kiss and started to walk out of her room she sleepily said "I love you Papi." he turned around so he could look at her and said "_I love you too Estefania." _He then walked out of her room with a huge smile on his face and contentment in his heart he had never felt before in his life.


	7. Estefania Finding Some Happiness

I figured I would surprise you all and give you an update a day early, my daughter has a dance recital school tomorrow night and I know that I wouldn't be getting home until late and I would rather post early instead of late.

I hope you enjoy this chapter, this one will only be about Estefania's story. The next chapter will go back to having both sides again.

Thank you to everyone that is still continuing to read this story, you have no idea how honored I am every time I get that notification that someone has made a comment, favorite or follow either the story or myself. I appreciate all of them.

I have to continue to thank my best friend for reviewing each chapter and making sure all mistakes are minimal and for giving me feedback to help me be a better writer.

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit. However the story line and original characters are mine.

Authors Note: Spanish conversations are italicized.

**Puerto Cabello, Venezuela – Estefania Finding Happiness**

Over time Osvaldo still had to go out of town for business, but after the first time from being away from Estefania he always tried to make it for only one or two days. Sometimes he would have to be away a few days longer. However, it was never as long as the first time. After Osvaldo and Stephanie had gone on their first father daughter date, Osvaldo felt a closeness to her that he never wanted to let go. He knew that he wanted to go out with her more often but knew he what it took the one time they did go out. He had to send some of his guards there early to secure the place an then they had to be extra careful that no one of importance saw them. She never knew it but there were armed guards all around them making sure that she was protected no matter what. It ended up exactly as he had hope but he knew if he wasn't careful this whole thing could blow up in his face and he was far too attached to Estefania to let that happen. He was amazed that he loved her as if she was really his child and had started living that life.

Of course he has done and would do anything in his power to make sure that no one would be able to be able to track her down and take her from him. He made sure to know everything that her other family was doing, he had known that very moment when they had finally truly believed that she was dead. He had made sure that the pictures that he had told his team to take of the plane were included with the reports. He also knows that they even had a service for her. He was also smart enough to know that certain people still tracking him and watching what he does. He knows that someone has also watched his house but as let it been well known that one of his maids has a daughter that age and has produced documents as proof. The pictures that have been provided are of course not of Estefania but those of another little girl in the city. He knows that it will be only a matter of time before they will leave him alone and stop looking at him, those agencies often tire of looking at the same information over and over and since that's all that they are being feed. He's confident that when that happens nothing would stop him from showing Estefania all the sights and sounds of their city and the other cities around them have to offer.

Then one day after a few months had past, Osvaldo was in the living room sitting with Estefania on the couch watching TV when he heard the front door open, they both got up to see who it was since only a few people were allowed to just walk in like that. They walked into the hallway and saw Osvaldo's second in command, Estefania took a running leap as she always when she saw him and jumped into his arms. When he caught her, she looked up at him and said "_Hi, Uncle Eric. You're back. What did you bring me?" _

He laughed at her since that was her usual greeting when one of the guys she was close to went away on either personal or a business trip. He kissed her on the cheek and said "_Of course I brought the little princess something. What man in their right mind wouldn't bring you something?"_

She laughed and held out her hand. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a long velvet box. She knew by now that it was a jewelry box, her uncles liked to spoil her as much as her Papi. She had a lot of necklaces and bracelets from all over the world. He held it out so she could open it. She lifted the top and saw it was a pretty necklace. It was a yellow and white gold thin twisted chain and hanging in the center of the chain was a solid rose gold heart. In the middle of the heart engraved was her initials EMJ. She looked at it and ran her fingers over the initials and said "_Estefania Michele Jimenez_" She looked back up at him and said "_Thank you Uncle Eric, it's beautiful. Look at what he brought me Papi._"

He said "_I saw my princess, it's beautiful. Maybe you should go show it to Maria and if you want you can have her put it on you." _She replied "_Ok Papi."_

She kissed Eric on the cheek as he closed the box handing to her. He set her down on the ground and she ran upstairs yelling "_Bye Uncle Eric._" and disappeared into her room.

Osvaldo laughed at the antics of his daughter and then walked up to Eric and said "_Good to see you my friend and I know she said it but thank you for her gift. You all spoil her_"

Eric replied "_She's as much as ours as she is yours even though she has your name and calls you Papi there isn't anything any of us wouldn't do for her. She is our niece. I come back with good news. Your worries are over. No one is looking at you anymore. The ones that were watching believe that you didn't fake her death to keep her. The reports that we sent out saying the little girl living in your house is one of your maid's children along with the picture proof that she didn't look any like Estefania made them finally believe. They've pulled all inquiries and all sounds are silent. We'll continue to monitor but as for now everything is good." _

Osvaldo replied out loud "_That's wonderful news, now I will be able to show off my Estefania. Again I have to thank you my friend. There is a reason I made you my second in command and you prove it to me over and over._"

Eric laughed and said "_Yeah yeah, you only keep me around to handle the work you don't want to do or to run the business while you're busy playing with your daughter. Which by the way is still weird to say, I never thought you would ever open your heart long enough to let anyone in. But in all honestly I couldn't be happier for you and she has definitely changed you for the better._" Osvaldo really didn't know what to say to that so he just gave him a manly hug with a huge pat on his back.

As they were pulling away Estefania came barreling down the stairs, Osvaldo said "_Estefania, how many times have I told you not to run in the house_"

She said "_Sorry Papi, I was just so excited to show you my necklace. Maria put it on me and I wanted to make sure that I got back down here before Uncle Eric left._"

He replied "_What am I going to do with you my princess, just be more careful OK?_"

She nodded her head and then went up to Eric and put her neck out and showed him that she had his gift on. He bent down and gave her a huge and then said "T_hat looks even more beautiful on you than I thought it would, but now I have to go because your Papi has news he wants to share with you." _With that he waved to them and walked out. Estefania looked at Osvaldo and said "_What's the news Papi?" _

He replied _"How would you like to go into the city with me tomorrow?"_

She replied "_I would love that, can I really go out with you? Does this mean that I can now find some friends I can play with, I mean I love playing with you, Tomas, Maria and the guys but a girl needs someone her own age" _He laughed and thought that's one of the things he loved about her was that she was never afraid to speak her mind and tell him like it is.

He replied "_Of course we can go out and see if find you some new friends._"

The following morning while Estefania was having her breakfast, Osvaldo met up with Tomas and Franco and explained that the situation and how according to Eric the coast is clear and that the threat of someone finding out about Estefania is gone. They still had to be careful because of Osvaldo's enemies but they would now be allowed to move about more freely. They both were happy about that because so far neither had been used very much. Franco hadn't been used at all because she was on lock down and Tomas was only used to play with her and the beach.

Osvaldo then said "_With today being Saturday, we know that there is a street festival going on and I think she would like that. What do you think? Between the 3 of us do you think we can protect her at something like that_?"

They both nodded their heads and said "_Yes we can protect her._"

After Estefania finished she ran into the living room where the men were waiting for her. Osvaldo gave her a look, but she just gave him a huge smiled and said "_I know. So where are we going and when can we go?" _

He told her "_Of course you know but it's never going to change is it and this is going to be an ongoing battle between us isn't it_."

She smiled at him again and said "_YEP! Now when are where are we going?" _

He laughed and shook his head and said "_We'll leave as soon as you are dressed and ready to go_."

Then she quickly left and ran up the stairs, all 3 of the men yelled "_Walk_" at the same time and then started laughing. A few minutes later she yelled _"I'm ready_" and she started to run down the stairs, seeing the men waiting for her at the bottom she stopped and then walked quickly down the stairs. When she reached the bottom she gave them a look that said see I can walk if I want to and then grabbed Tomas and Osvaldo's hands and dragged them to the front door.

Osvaldo put her in the car seat and climbed in on the other side of her, Tomas climbed in the front passenger side and of course Franco was driving.

Osvaldo asked Estefania "_My princess would you like to know where we are going?_ "

She smile brightly and said "_Oh yes, please_._"_ He said "_There is a street festival going on in the middle of the city and they have all kinds of food, games, and shows for little kids. There is also a big park with a huge playground. Does that sound like something you would like to do?_" She began jumping up and down in her seat and screamed "_YES!_"

They decided the best place to start would be at the park with the playground. This would give them the best chance to see how people would react when they saw Osvaldo with Estefania. People here know how powerful he is and they aren't sure what they will think with him having a child. As soon as the car stopped and Osvaldo picked Estefania up to get her out of the car and she saw all the kids playing she got really excited. He could barely hold on to her, she was trying to push herself out of his arms so she could get down.

Finally he set her down but grabbed her hand. He walked her over to one of the benches that was empty and said "_I know you want to go play with the kids but I need you to just sit here with me for a few minutes OK?_"

She nodded her head as she watched Franco and Tomas come up beside them. She looked around and noticed all the adults were staring at them. Some of them were staring at them with mean faces. Estefania didn't understand that so she asked "_Papi, why do some people have mean looks on their faces?"_

He replied "_Estefania, I am a very powerful man and most of the adults here know who I am. Because of that there will be people who will not be nice to us when we are out and most likely will not allow their children to be near you. As well as sometimes when I see someone that I don't like, I won't want you to play with their children._"

She got a sad look on her face but said "_OK, how will I know who I can and can't play with?_"

Osvaldo told her "_That's what I am here for, as well as Maria and Tomas, but there will be one day where you will have to make that decision for yourself as well._"

Just as she was about to answer him she saw 4 kids who looked to be around her age running towards them. She looked up at Osvaldo and saw he was looking around trying to see who was watching the 2 boys and 2 girls headed their way, once he found them he looked over at Tomas and then at Franco. They silently communicated and determined the kids were OK. Osvaldo then looked down at her and nodded his approval.

She hopped off the bench just when they got to her and one of the boys said "_Hi. We haven't seen you before are you new?"_ She said "_Yes_. _I've only lived here for a little bit. I used to live with my mama but she couldn't take care of me anymore so I moved in with my Papi."_ Looking behind her at Osvaldo, he nodded at her happy that she had remembered the story that they had worked on explaining why all of sudden she was living with him.

She said "_My name is Estefania and this is my Papi,_."

The kids looking at Osvaldo said _"Hi Papi."_

He laughed and said "_Hello children_."

Then they looked at Tomas and Franco standing there and their eyes went wide with how big they were. Estefania laughed said "_That's Tomas and Franco they protect me, but they're big softies." _

They looked shyly at the guys and softly said "_Hi_" and then looked back at Estefania.

The boy who had spoken to her first said "_I'm Diego I'm 6 and this is my sister Isabella, she's 4_." He pointed to the other boy and said "_These are our cousins Nicolas and twin sister Nikole, they're 5. How old are you?_"

She smiled at him and said "_I'm 4."_

Isabella said "_How come we haven't seen you at school? You would be in the same class as me._"

Osvaldo spoke up and said "_She's home school. She won't be attending regular school." _

All the kids looked sad about that, but then Nikole said "_Well you can play with us now and maybe we can play together other times._" Looking at Osvaldo she continued "_Would that be ok?" _

He said "_Yes that would be fine, but I would have to speak with your parents first._"

Before anyone could do anything or say anything else Diego screamed really loud "_Mama, Papa and Tia Ana Sofia and Tio Manny_." They all rushed over to where they were with questioning looks on their face. They all knew who that man was but no one had known that he had a little girl. When they reached them Diego said "_We want to play with Estefania but in order for us to do that they need to meet you all. Say hi to him, his name is Papi."_

At that all the adults laughed Osvaldo reached his hand out to shake Diego's father's hand and said "_Hello, I'm Osvaldo Jimenez and this is my daughter Estefania." _Pointing to the guys behind him he said "_These are my colleagues Tomas and Franco. I'm sorry young Diego scared you all, the children were asking how come they hadn't seen Estefania in school since her and Isabella would be in the same class. When I explained that she's home schooled and wouldn't be going to a regular school they were disappointed and wanted to set up a time they could play with her after today. I felt that I needed to make sure that you were OK with it that before it went any further._"

Diego's father gave a Tomas and Franco a knowingly nod and said "_I'm Diego and Isabella's father Juan Barros and this is my wife Rosalind and this is my younger brother Emmanuel and his wife Ana Sofia. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we understand the position that this will put us all in and we definitely know who you are but we've never had any problems with you_" He turned to look at the kids, they were all huddled together on the grass talking quietly to each other, so he continued "_and by looking at them it would be pretty much impossible to separate them now._"

Osvaldo said "_I appreciate you allowing your children to play with my princess. She's only been with me for a short time and has been pretty much stayed in the house. Today is her first day being able to come into the city. She was living with her mama in another country and when she could no longer take care of her I made the decision to bring her here to live with me._" They all gave him a sympathetic nod. He continued "_We came to the park to see who would be receptive and who wouldn't be and she noticed some of the looks she was getting and was starting to get upset, that was until your children came over and talked to her. This is one of the happiest moments for her other than the first time she saw the ocean, since she's arrived. I was planning on taking her to the street festival after this, but I don't know if she still wants to go._"

Suddenly out of nowhere Estefania yelled "_Yes Papi, I still want to go. Isabella said they paint faces, can I have my face painted please Papi, please?_" As she said that she'd given him her puppy dog eyes that she always gave him whenever she wanted something.

He shook his head and said "_Of course my princess whatever you want? Do you want to play here for a little longer or do you want to head over to the festival?"_

She got up from her circle and walked over to him climbed up on the bench and motioned for him to bend down and then she whispered into his ear. After she was done he looked at her questioningly and she nodded her head.

Wrapping his arm around her and picking her up he looked at the parents and said "_Estefania would like to invite all you to join us in going to the festival and then afterwards out to dinner, she's knows this really nice restaurant and she would love for her new friends to go with her. Of course everything would be our treat._"

Emmanuel spoke up and said _"Mr. Jimenez we couldn't allow you to do that. It would be too much._"

Osvaldo replied "_Please call me Osvaldo and my princess is being insistent. I honestly don't think that she will allow you to say no._" He laughed and said "_Believe me I've tried over and over and I haven't been able to yet_."

At that Estefania turned her eyes on to the man in question and said "_Nicolas and Nikole's Papi please come with us. I really like Nicolas, Nikole, Isabella, and Diego. They are my first friends that I've made since I've been here and I want to have a good time with you all. If you don't want to come can we take them with us, we'll bring them home, please?_"

He looked over at Osvaldo and said "_You weren't kidding were you. OK Estefania, we'd be honored to go with you._"

She gave him her megawatt smile and maneuvered her way out of Osvaldo's arms and ran over to her new friends and then excitedly told them what the plans were. The kids came back over to the adults talking a mile a minute and excited about going to the festival and then to dinner. The parents laughed as they guided the kids down to the festival. All the parents pretty much stayed in one spot talking while the kids played all kinds of games and looked at all the different crafts that people were selling. Franco or Tomas was always with the kids so they weren't really worried about them. Estefania went to one booth and saw these beautiful bracelets and turned around to see Tomas watching her. She smiled at him and he walked up to her. She pointed out the bracelets that she was looking at, there were 3 for girls and 2 for boys. She looked up at him and he just shook his head paid the woman.

She walked up to Osvaldo and said "_Papi, look what I got. I got one for each of us. Do you think they will like them?_"

At that moment the other kids walked up with Franco and Osvaldo said "_I don't know, you should ask them_."

So she walked over to them and showed the bracelets to them. They got excited and immediately put them on. The next thing they did was to get their faces painted. Estefania went first and she got the Wonder Woman symbol painted on her forehead, Isabella went next and got a puppy dog face, Nikole was after her and got a butterfly, then Nicolas got a tiger face and lastly Diego got the Batman symbol.

Estefania laughed at him and said "_Look we match_."

Diego grabbed her hand smiled at her and said "_Yeah we do_."

Osvaldo, Juan, and Rosalind all looked at each other and smiled.

While the kids were getting their faces painted Osvaldo knew Estefania would be safe with all of them watching so he sent Franco home to get the really big car, he made sure to tell him to add additional car seats for the little ones. By the time the kids were done, Franco had returned and just nodded at Osvaldo. The adults had determined that it was time for dinner and were getting ready to tell the kids, when they all heard a loud roar. Everyone except for Estefania, Osvaldo, Tomas, and Franco jumped.

Estefania started laughing and Diego asked her "_What's so funny?"_

She said proudly "_That was my stomach_."

He laughed and said "_Well let's get a move on then, we've got to feed that monster_."

They all started to head to their cars when Osvaldo explained that he had a car that was big enough for them all to fit in and then after dinner he would drop them off. They all agreed that it would be easier.

They got into the car and Franco drove them to the only restaurant that Estefania had been too, and she told all the other kids about it. The Barros had never been there so this was a treat for them as well. Once again Osvaldo ordered everything on the menu so that everyone could taste everything. Estefania made sure to tell the kids not to each too much so they could play on the playground and told them all about the last time. They enjoyed the food and after they were done, the waitress asked if they wanted coffee and Osvaldo made the suggestion that they have some so the kids would have time to play. They agreed and the kids hopped down off the chairs and headed towards the playground.

On the way Diego grabbed Estefania's hand and Osvaldo commented "_Do you think we need to keep an eye on those two?"_

Rosalind spoke up and said "_I think they are very cute together and as long as it's just holding hands I can handle that_."

They laughed at that. 30 minutes later they gathered the kids from the playground and headed home. When they reached the park where the Barros' car was, they got out and thanked Osvaldo for a wonderful day. They all said their goodbyes and Osvaldo and Estefania pulled away. She had a smile on her face leaned over as far as she could to Osvaldo and said "_Thank you Papi for a fantastic day_."

Estefania had made some new friends and was very happy.


	8. Stephanie'sEstefania's 5th Birthday

Thank you for those that continue to read this story, you have no idea how honored I am every time I get that notification that someone has made a comment, favorite or follow either the story or myself. I appreciate all of them. Especially those that are trying to guess what happens next. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

I have to continue to thank my best friend for reviewing each chapter and making sure all mistakes are minimal and for giving me feedback to help me be a better writer.

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit. However the story line and original characters are mine.

Author's Note: Spanish conversations are italicized.

**Celebrating Stephanie/Estefania's 5****th**** Birthday**

**In Trenton **

The past year had been tough when it came to the holidays. They pretty much ignored Thanksgiving, but Christmas they couldn't ignore. Helen and Frank ended up over compensating for Stephanie being gone and gave Valerie everything that she had wanted and more. It also seemed that everyone in the family had the same idea because Valerie received more gifts than she could handle. New Year's passed and they did some reflecting on their loss but then for the past 10 months things were pretty much based on the daily schedule and routines and Stephanie had been pushed to the back of their minds.

Helen's alarm went off signifying that it was a new day and the start of a new week. It was pretty much like any other Monday. She woke Frank up so he could get ready for work and went to the kitchen to brew coffee and work on breakfast.

After being out of work for a bit after Stephanie's death, he decided that he just couldn't sit at home anymore being miserable; so he looked for a job. After a couple of weeks of searching he was able to find a position at the post office. So far he was happy there and was keeping him busy and taking his mind off of things.

Frank rolled out of the bed to take his shower and get ready for the day. While he was doing that Helen went into Valerie's room and woke her up so she could ready then she went into the kitchen to start making breakfast. She went up to the calendar that was hanging on the wall by the phone to mark it off like she did every day. She took the black marker and moved it up to the calendar and stopped dead in her tracks. After a little bit Frank and Valerie came into the kitchen at the same time and saw her just staring at the wall. They turned their heads to figure out what she was looking at and saw the calendar, all the days leading up to today had been marked off and there it sat staring them all in the face the date October 12th. Helen turned and they saw that she was gripping the pen so hard her fingers were turning white. They all knew what this date meant, and had been thinking about it since the beginning of the month. Finally not being able to handle it anymore Frank walked up to Helen grabbed the pen and put it down. He turned her into him and held her there. Valerie walked up to both of them and squeezed in between them. They stood there for who knows how long, trying to comfort each other.

Frank brushed his hand over his face to secretly wipe away the tears, picked up the phone and called out of work. There was no way he'd be able to concentrate. He then turned to Helen and said "Valerie should stay home from school today and we should all do something that Stephanie would have loved to do."

She nodded her head in agreement. She was the least verbal about missing Stephanie but knew that today was the day to remember and the day to honor her.

Valerie said "You know what Stephanie would have loved to do. It's probably too cold but she would have loved to go to the beach. Do you think that maybe we could go to Point Pleasant and go on the boardwalk?"

Frank and Helen both looked down at her and smiled and at the same time said "That sounds like a great idea."

Helen said "You know what I'll get the picnic basket and we can fill it with her favorite foods and sit on the beach and eat it. Yes, it may be cold but we'll just have to bundle up. Valerie why don't you go get the picnic basket and the beach blankets that we use out of the garage. We still need to eat so I'll make breakfast while I'm getting the picnic stuff ready. How does chocolate chip pancakes sound?"

Since Frank and Valerie knew that she said that because that was Stephanie's favorite breakfast food they whole heartily agreed.

While Helen and Valerie were each doing their tasks Frank was going to sneak into Stephanie's room. They had still kept the door shut, so nothing on the inside had changed. No one had wanted to go through her stuff to get rid of it. For him it was finality and he felt Helen hadn't done it just because she didn't want to deal with it. When he opened the door it was like going back in time, he sat down on her bed and cried for a few minutes. He moved over to her closet and knew that she kept her beach things hidden in the back. She was told over and over again by Helen to put it in the garage with the rest of the stuff so she didn't get sand all over the place, but she would never listen. He laughed thinking that was one of the things that made Helen so mad at her. She never liked how independent or adventurous Stephanie was, when she made her mind up to do something nothing stopped her. As he was pulling the bucket and shovel out he noticed a beautiful sand dollar. It was completely whole with no breaks or anything. It was in all essence perfect. He picked it up and looked at it and decided that he would take it back to the beach and put it in the water and hopefully let the tide take it away so that a small piece of her would always be at the beach.

Helen called them into the kitchen for breakfast, when she saw Frank walk in with the bucket and shovel the look on her face told Frank she might get mad because of where he got it from. Instead she let out this hysterical laugh and said "Oh my goodness, that child never listened to me. Those were in her closet weren't they?"

He smiled and replied "Yep they were."

He put them on the floor and they all sat down at the table and ate breakfast. After they were done, Helen and Valerie cleaned the breakfast dishes and Frank loaded up the car with everything they would need. After they were ready they piled in the car to make the hour trip to the beach.

When they arrived, Frank had no problems finding a parking spot since no one else was there. It was about 61 degrees out by the beach and there was a small breeze but with the sun being out it was nice and didn't feel too cold. They all grabbed everything out of the car and Helen took the blanket and found a spot to lay it out. They took off their shoes and put them on the corners of the blanket so it would stay.

After Frank brought the picnic basket down and set it on the blanket, he grabbed the shovel and bucket and asked "Hey Valerie, would you like to build a sand castle with me?"

She smiled and said "Yes, let's build a really big one. Stephanie always liked watching people that would build the huge ones."

So they spent the next 3 hours building the sand castle. Every time Valerie thought something wasn't right she made them start over, eventually Helen joined in too. They all laughed and played in the sand. Once it was done Frank grabbed the sand dollar and stuck it in the main tower and then below it wrote Stephanie's castle.

They walked up to where the showers were so they could wash their hands and get ready for lunch, climbing on the blanket Helen started passing out the sandwiches she'd made along with the chips. Once they were done they decided to pack everything up and head home. In the car they decided to just rest at home for the remainder of the day and when they were ready for dinner they would have Pino's deliver Stephanie's favorite pizza.

Although it had started out as a sad day for them, they had turned it into a great day of remembering.

**In Puerto Cabello, Venezuela **

After the street festival were Estefania had meet Diego, Nicolas, Nikole, and Isabella they always tried to be together, it was harder during the school year but as soon as the summer came they were together all the time, the 5 of them were thick as thieves. Mostly they were at the Jimenez compound because it had the biggest yard, a pool and on the beach. It didn't originally have a pool but Estefania had mentioned one day that she had always wanted one, so as a surprise for her Osvaldo had one built right before the summer started. He threw a huge party opening it and told the Barros' to invite as many people as they wanted. Osvaldo invited his people and all of their families. Estefania loved the whole thing and made sure that all the kids got stuff to take home.

After that she would hang out with some of them but Osvaldo became suspicious that some of the kids were only her friends because of their money and that she was so generous buying things for everyone, but she didn't seem to care. When he would try to talk to her about it she would just shrug her shoulders and say that since she has so much why not share it with someone that doesn't have as much as she does. He really couldn't argue with her on that so he let it go. He just made sure that he and Tomas would keep a close eye out.

When school started Estefania made an extra effort to make sure that Diego, Nicolas, Nikole, and Isabella would see her and get together every weekend. The only exception was when the girls asked if they could have a girl's day with Isabella and Nikole's mothers. Osvaldo agreed but Diego wasn't happy because he didn't like being far away from her since it was their only time together. After that happened Diego asked Tomas to teach him things that would allow him to take care of Estefania just in case something happened and Tomas couldn't get to her right away. Tomas first thought that it was because of his crush and didn't want to be excluded from anything she was doing but then he said that he wanted to be the one she could always rely on and he wanted to protect her. Diego told Tomas that he wanted to be her personal Batman. Tomas thought about it and decided that it might not be a bad idea, so he talked to Osvaldo and Diego's parents and they were OK with him learning some self-defense stuff but that none of him learn anything regarding weapons, he was too young. Then they started to joke about the day when they grow up, they'd probably end up getting married.

Osvaldo knew that when school had started he had about a month before Estefania's birthday. He wanted to make it extra special since this would be the first one with him. He decided that he would make the party the entire weekend before the day since it actually fell on a Monday this year. It had pretty much taken the entire month or so to plan what he wanted to do for her and he wanted everything to be a surprise so as they were sitting down to dinner he said "_Estefania, I have to go out of town tomorrow morning and I was thinking that maybe you would like to go with me. What do you think?"_

She said "_Can I really go with you?"_

He replied "_Yes you absolutely can_."

She jumped from the table and started yelling and screaming and getting all excited, but then she suddenly stopped and said "_Wait, will be home before Saturday? I don't want to miss seeing my best friends._"

He laughed at her antics and said "_Yes we will be home Friday night, I promise_."

She smiled and said "_OK, where are we going?"_

He said "_I can't tell you, I want it to be a surprise_."

He knew by saying that it would drive her crazy because she always had to know everything and patience was definitely not part of her virtue. So the next morning they got up and headed out. Before they left Osvaldo had spoken to Maria and made sure that she knew exactly what was going on so they crew could get the house perfect.

Once they were in the car Osvaldo got serious and said "_Estefania, we're going to have to get on an airplane, are you going to be OK with that?_" She looked at his grabbed his hand and said "_As long as I have you and Tomas I will be good. You always make me feel better when I'm scared._"

He reached over and kissed her on her head and said "_I'm glad you feel that way my princess_."

They had made it to the airport and got on the plane, it looked like the first one that she had been on but it was a little different. When they climbed aboard she saw Eric sitting in one of the chairs and ran up to him and gave him a big hug, she said "_I didn't know you were coming too."_

He said "_Yes sweet girl, your Papi goes nowhere without me._"

She laughed and then climbed up and sat in the middle of the couch. Osvaldo and Tomas took the hint and each of them sat on the other side of her. That was one of the changes he'd made with this new plane. He knew that they would need a bigger couch because she would want them with her. The pilot signaled that they were ready to go and started down the runway. Estefania grabbed each one of their hands and held on tight. Once they were in the air she was fine.

She asked Osvaldo "_Can you finally tell me where we are going now?_"

They all laughed and he said "_Patience my princess._" She just grunted in reply. Everyone laughed. She looked around and pouted.

He said "_Don't worry Estefania. We will be in there in couple of hours." _

When they were getting ready to land she grabbed their hands again and then Osvaldo kissed her forehead and said "_By the way my princess we are going to Barbados. After we land Tomas and Franco will take you to our villa while Eric and myself have to go to a meeting. It will only last a couple of hours and after that I will be yours for the day. Tomorrow we have a few more meetings and again Tomas and Franco will take you to see some of the sites. Wednesday will be my day with you and then Thursday and Friday I have more meetings. We will leave late Friday afternoon and should be home before bed time." _

By the time he had finished telling her everything they were doing, they had landed and had taxied up to the terminal. She leaned over gave him a big hug and a kiss and said "_You always know what I need._"

Time had flown by for Estefania and before she knew it she was getting back on the plane headed for home. Once the plane had taken off, she started to think about everything they had done. She and Tomas went to a wildlife reserve that was a monkey sanctuary, she liked that she got to make fun of them. They took a boat trip through caves and they took a safari jeep tour all around the island. Some nights they had all gone out to see shows with dancers and guys that played on steel drums. Her favorite thing was the day that Osvaldo had off. They went on a submarine trip to explore some city that was under the water. All and all she had a great trip, but she couldn't wait to get home. Tomorrow she would get to see her friends. Especially Diego she missed him, she hadn't been able to talk to him at all. After they had landed and arrived at home, she was too tired to do anything so she went straight to bed.

The next morning Estefania woke up to really loud screaming and before she could get up to find out who it was, Diego, Isabella, Nicolas, and Nikole came barreling in her room, yelling and screaming that it was time for her to get up, she growled at them and tried to pull the blanket back over her head.

Diego walked up to her and said "_You want to see the surprise that your Papi has for you, don't you_?"

She rubbed her eyes and said "_What surprise_?"

Isabella replied "_The one for your birthday, silly_."

Estefania looked puzzled and said "_It's not my birthday, yet_."

Nicolas spoke up and said "_Yes, but we are celebrating today and tomorrow_."

Diego quickly put his hand over Nicolas's mouth to shut him up, Nikole grabbed Estefania's hand and pulled her out of her bed and over to the doors of her balcony. She opened the doors and said "_LOOK!_!"

Estefania looked outside and saw this huge tent in the backyard that looked like a princess castle. She came back inside and ran down the hall and the stairs followed by the rest of the kids. She came to a complete stop at the bottom of the stairs when she saw Osvaldo standing there with the other parents. She started yelling and screaming about the Princess Castle.

Osvaldo said loudly and sternly "_Estefania!"_

She stopped mid-sentence and looked up at him as the other kids backed up a couple steps since they had never heard him yell before he then continued "_You need to calm down. Yes there is a huge Princess Castle tent that's outside and it's there for you. I know you are excited but don't you think before you do anything else you should get dressed_."

She looked down and saw that she was wearing her nightgown, she sheepishly smiled up at him and said "Yes_ Papi._" and took off running up the stairs yelling at Maria that she needed to get dressed.

He just shook his head and mumbled "_I'll never be able to get that child to stop yelling and running, no matter how hard I try_."

He turned back to everyone else and said "Let's_ go into the kitchen and see what the cook has prepared for us_."

They all went into the kitchen and saw the feast that the cook had prepared. On the huge kitchen table was every kind of breakfast food that Estefania ever liked. The girl in question came down about 5 minutes later and walked into the kitchen and got excited all over again.

She said "_Look at all this yummy food, I'm starving. Let's eat._"

They all sat down and started dishing up their plates. While they were eating Osvaldo said "_My princess we all know that Monday is your birthday, however I figured that I would set up a special surprise for you. Today will be all about you, your best friends and their parents. As you've already figured out there is a huge Princess Castle tent in the back yard that was specially made for you. Inside there is enough room for all your friends to sleep over as well as a big screen for you to watch your favorite movies. There is a portable popcorn machine in it, but none of you children can operate it, you have to ask one of us adults to use it, OK?" All the kids nod their heads while he continued "After breakfast we'll all go down to the beach where I have set up a hidden treasure hunt. You will be on teams of 3 and you will be given a map that shows 3 different treasures that are hidden. Once a team has found the treasure chest they are done, and we wait for all the teams to finish. Next we'll come back to the patio where will have the hot dogs and hamburgers that you love so much, after lunch everyone will go into the tent watch a movie and relax. Then maybe afterwards go swimming in the pool. How does that sound so far?_"

Estefania looked at him swallowed the food that was in her mouth and said "_That sounds absolutely fantastic, if all of that is for today I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow._"

He laughed thinking she always thinks ahead. He said "_Well you'll just have to wait._"

She stared at him and he just laughed at her again. The other parents were looking at them, even though they've been around them a lot, sometimes they can't get over that Osvaldo has a child and how he is with her. They had seen him around the city before she came here but he never seemed as happy as he was now.

After breakfast was over Osvaldo and Estefania got up and started to walk to the patio, they looked back and noticed that no one was following them and that they were all starting to clean off the table. Before Osvaldo could say anything the maid came out and explained that while she appreciates the help it's not necessary. So they walked up to Osvaldo and Estefania, the adults thanking him.

They opened the patio doors and walked down to the beach. Osvaldo said "_Alright everyone I will give you 5 minutes to figure out your teams, remember that it has to be a team of 3._"

Diego immediately grabbed Estefania's and his Tio Emmanuel's hand claiming they are Team 1. Isabella grabbed Nikole and her mama and said they were team 2. Leaving Nicolas with his mama and Tio Juan being Team 3.

Osvaldo said "_Now that the teams have been chosen, everyone gets a treasure map and Tomas will come around giving each team 3 shovels. Once you find the small treasure chest you will come over to this small bucket of keys to try and figure out which one works to open your chest._"

He handed one to Emmanuel, Rosalind and Juan. They all moved away from each other so they could look at their maps. Tomas went over to each team and gave them 3 small shovels.

Osvaldo gave them a few minutes to look at it and then said "_Go._"

All the teams set off to find their treasure. A little bit later Osvaldo started laughing at hearing every one yelling and giving orders and enjoying themselves. Team 3 was the first team to dig out their treasure chest and they raced over to the bucket of keys, Team 2 was the next team to get theirs and met Team 3 at the keys they were still struggling to find the right key. Team 1 finally got theirs and joined the others trying to find the keys. All of a sudden they heard _"I got it!_!" It was Nikole who was able to open their treasure chest inside the small chest what looked like 5 pearl bracelets with a gold coin hanging from it. Nikole picked one up and looked at the gold coin the initials EMJ with the date October 12th were imprinted on it.

Nikole said "_This is beautiful do I get to keep it?_"

Rosalind picked one up and looked at it and shockingly questioned "_Are these real pearls?_"

Osvaldo answered by saying "_Yes sweet Nikole you get to keep it and no they are not real and neither is the gold coin. I know you don't really like when Estefania or I give you or your children extravagant gifts so I made sure that everything in the treasure were just simple tokens of my princess's birthday_."

Right after he explained everything Diego yelled "_We opened ours._"

They opened the lid and in the small chest were 5 of just the gold coins. Diego said "_These are cool._"

Nicolas finally got theirs open and saw that it was filled with all kinds of candy. All the kids gathered around and started to grab what they wanted. The adults laughed.

Osvaldo said "_Who's hungry?_" All of the kids yelled "_We are._"

So then he said "_Well let's eat, everything should be ready back on the pool deck._"

So they walked up to where the food was and began to eat. Everyone was having a good time and enjoying themselves. After they were done eating Osvaldo said "_So who's ready to go watch a movie and eat candy and popcorn_."

They all gathered and grabbed the chests and moved into the tent. When they walked inside they all were shocked, the first thing they noticed was the floor, it was a real hardwood floor. Then they saw there were 3 different areas in the tent. The first area had a large screen and cushions and pillows on the floor in front of it and a couple of small couches. The second area had 5 small air mattresses and the third area had 2 larger air mattresses.

Osvaldo "_Since the kids will be staying in here tonight Tomas and Franco will be sleeping in the area with the 2 big beds._" Every one nodded. He looked over at Juan and continued to say "_There are plenty of rooms in the main house if you would like to stay, there's even a guest cottage a little bit down the beach if you prefer._"

Juan said "_Thank you for the offer we'll discuss it and let you know_."

Osvaldo just nodded his head and said "_Estefania what do you want to watch first?_"

She smiled and yelled "_Who you gonna call."_ The other kids yelled back "_Ghostbusters!_"

So they all settled in and found their spots while the movie was being loaded, the popcorn was passed out. Halfway through the movie the kids had fallen asleep, so the adults got up and walked out of the tent. The Barros had decided to go back to their homes and just leave the kids here. Osvaldo understood and said that he'd see them tomorrow, so they thanked him again for a great time and left.

He went back in to check on the kids and thought that they were all still sleeping, until he heard Estefania's soft voice say "_Papi?_"

He looked over at her and said "_Yes sweet girl, it's _me."

She whispered "_Guess what I found while we were on the beach?" _

He whispered back "_What?" _She said "_I found a sand dollar do you want to see it?" _

He said "_Yes, I would like that." _

She showed it to him and said "_I used to have one just like it at my old home that I hid in my closet from my mom. She didn't like that." _

He reached down and kissed her forehead and said "_Do you want to keep it?"_ She nodded her head yes.

He said "_How about I take it and put it in your room on one of your shelves so that it can be kept safe for you?" _She replied "_I would like that, Thank you." _

She handed it to him and then fell back to sleep. He figured since they looked comfortable and weren't going to get up soon, that for dinner he would have finger sandwiches made for them to eat, instead of a big meal. They could always eat snacks later. He walked into the house with the sand dollar and went into her room and put it up on the shelf just like he said he would. He knew she would always have times when she thought of them and her birthday would definitely be one of them. He heard them wake about 2 hours later and were grateful that he'd planned ahead so the sandwiches where already there. For the remainder of the night they just decided to sit around on the pillows and talk and watch movies until they fell asleep.

The next morning Osvaldo came in and woke the kids up so that they could go in the house and eat breakfast and get ready for the day. He told them that they had to stay inside because men would be working outside getting everything ready for her party this afternoon. After they all changed into their clothes for the day, they hung out in Estefania's room for a little bit and then finally went down to the living room and watched TV. About 3 o'clock guests started to come, by the time everyone was there Estefania felt he had invited the whole city there were so many people and she thought to herself so many gifts. That was one thing she really liked and always had. Osvaldo had set up many different activities for the kids to do. The tent had been taken down and was replaced with a huge bouncy house castle. There were hulu hoops all over the place and a limbo station for anyone wanting to try that. He had the face painter from the street festival and food. Every kind of food that Estefania had ever mentioned she liked was there.

After the food was gone Osvaldo quieted everyone down and said "_Thank you all for coming to celebrate my princess's birthday. I know both of us truly appreciate you being here. Now she's going to open up her gifts and afterwards the cake will be served. Estefania please go take you seat._"

She walked over to this seat that had all kinds of balloons and streamer on it and sat down. Present after present was opened and by the end she had so many toys and so many clothes that she wouldn't know what to do with them. She would have to talk to Papi about that later. Finally as this big princess castle cake came out, they all started to sing Feliz Cumpleanos (Happy Birthday) to her. After the cake was eaten everyone just kind of sat around and talked, and then slowly started to leave, the only ones that stayed was the Barros families.

Finally Emmanuel said _"I know that you all don't want to leave but you've had such a busy weekend we all need to head home so you can rest, since you have school tomorrow._"

All the kids started whining but one look from Osvaldo and him saying "_Your Papi and Tio is right. We'd like to thank you for being a part of Estefania's celebrations and we'll get together next weekend if not maybe for dinner sometime during the week._"

At that Estefania got up screamed "_Don't move, I'll be right back_" and took off at full speed into the house. Osvaldo just sighed while the other adults just laughed.

She came back and said "_Last week Papi took me to Barbados and I brought back stuff for you._"

She then handed them what looked like really cool and different colored rocks. She explained "_These are pieces of the cave that Tomas and Franco took me to"_ she looked at Osvaldo and continued "_and before you ask I didn't take them out of the cave I promise, I got them from a store just outside_."

He gave her a knowing look and with that the Barros' kids thanked her and then got up to leave. Osvaldo and Estefania walked them out to their cars and then Diego before he got into his car walked over to Estefania and gave her a hug and a quick kiss on her cheek said "Feliz Cumpleanos " then ran away and hopped into his car. The adults just shook their heads. Osvaldo picked Estefania up and they watched the cars pull out of the driveway and then they went into the house. Osvaldo said " _My princess did you have a good birthday weekend?"_

She replied "_Yes, Papi I did, but I have a problem_."

He was curious as to what that could be so he inquired "_What's that sweetie?_"

She quietly said "_I have so many things all ready, that I didn't need anymore. What am I going to do with it all? Is there some place that I can give it to someone that won't feel bad I give it to them? That's why I didn't give any of it to Isabella or Nikole. I don't want their parents to feel bad._"

He thought about it and said "_I think I have the perfect idea, I'm not going to tell you just yet, but we'll do it together tomorrow OK? Now why don't you head up to your room take a bath and get your pajamas on, if you aren't tired after that then we'll sit on the couch and watch TV together for a little bit." _She kissed him and said "_OK_" and then got down and ran up the stairs.

She ended up falling asleep right after her bath and didn't move until the morning.

The next morning Osvaldo let Estefania sleep as late as she wanted and finally about 10 o'clock she came strolling down the stairs and saw him at the kitchen table reading his paper. He turned his head and said "_Good Morning sleepy head. Feliz Cumpleanos._"

She smiled and replied "_Thank you Papi_."

He said "_You need to eat something and then go get dressed we have a big day ahead of us._"

She went into the kitchen and the cook said "Feliz Cumpleanos _Estefania what would like for breakfast?_"

She said "_Thank you and just eggs and fruit. I had so much food yesterday I don't know if I could eat a lot today_."

The cook smiled and said "_Go sit at the table and I'll bring it to you._"

She did as she was told and said "_Papi do you have to work today?_"

He said "_No I'm spending the whole day with you, just us and no one else._" It had been a while since it was just the two of them so she said "_No Tomas or Franco?"_

He said "_Nope I gave them the day off, although they will probably come and see you later."_ She nodded and said "_What are we doing?_"

He said "_We are going to take care of all those present that you said you would like to give to someone that would appreciate them. You have to go through them to decide which ones you want to keep and which ones you want to give away." _

By that time the cook brought her breakfast over and she began to eat. She thought about what he said and then stated "_I don't really want any of it because you give me everything I could want or need, but I don't want to hurt any ones feelings. I just don't know what to keep._"

He thought about it and said "_I don't think anyone would be upset and we aren't giving them to anyone around here so I think it will be OK if you don't want to keep any of it. I'll have them load everything in the car and once you finish and are dressed we'll leave."_

She finished and then got up. When she got into her room she saw a beautiful new dress that Osvaldo had bought especially for her birthday. It was a sapphire sleeveless chiffon dress that matched her eyes perfectly. She looked at Maria who had come out to help her get dressed and said "_This is such a pretty dress will you make my hair pretty too?_"

Maria said "_Why of course sweet girl, I know just the thing to do with it and by the way Feliz Cumpleanos_"

After about 10 minutes Maria had curled her hair in a way that made her natural curls extra bouncy, so when she came bounding down the stairs her curls bounced up and down. She walked up to Osvaldo and said "_How do I look?"_ He said "_My princess you look absolutely beautiful. Are you ready?" _She nodded her head. He grabbed her hand and walked out of the house into their car.

They drove the 2 hour trip to Caracas and pulled up to a place called La Casa De Samuel. She looked over at him and he said "_This is a home for orphaned children. We are going to give them all of your presents. I've already called ahead and they are expecting us. They were very thankful that you wanted to do this." _

She smiled as someone was walking out of the house to the car. Osvaldo got out and walked around and got Estefania out of her seat on the passenger side. He picked her up and introduced them to the gentleman that was by the car. He told them how excited that they were to get such wonderful things and they would definitely be put to good use. He asked them if they wanted a tour of the house and Osvaldo looked at Estefania who was shaking her head up and down. He laughed and accepted his offer and asked if there was anyone who could help to get all of the presents from the car since there was a lot of stuff, explaining that the whole backseat was filled as well as the trunk of the car. The gentleman walked back into the house and moments later came out with 4 other guys and said to Osvaldo "_Don't worry, they will take care of everything and remove it all from your car._" Osvaldo thanked him and then they went on the tour of the house. They stopped and talked to some of the kids and declined their offer for dinner since it was getting late. Osvaldo explained that today was Estefania's birthday and he had something else planned for the rest of the evening.

They left La Casa De Samuel and drove to a Lola Restaurante, where he again indulged her and order everything on the menu. She said "Papi by _the time this weekend is over I'm going to be fat_."

He laughed and said "_Not with the way you run around the house you won't._" At that she laughed.

Once they were done with dinner he told her that they weren't quite done yet and they pulled into a parking lot in front of a big building that had the words Teatro Teresa Carreño. He told her that they were going to listen to some music played by a symphony.

After the concert was over he asked "_My princess did you enjoy the show?_"

She said "_Yes I did, can we come again?" _He said "_Absolutely."_

Then they got in the car and drove home. On the way home Estefania had falling asleep so when they got back to the house and he picked her up out of the car she sleepily said "_Thank you for the best birthday I could have ever had. I love you, Papi." _

He said "_You're welcome my princess and I love you too."_


	9. Getting Help & Trouble for the Jimenez's

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

Authors Note:

I decided to start moving this story along so I can get close to main pieces of the story.

FYI there is some violence and torture in the section that pertains to the Estefania and Osvaldo's section. That part will have ***** before and after so if it's not your cup of tea then please feel free to skip that part. I just feel that it's time to bring out the real Osavaldo and let that side of him have some fun .

Spanish conversations are italicized.

**Trenton NJ- Finally Getting Help They Need**

Frank tries harder and harder every year to get his family to celebrate Stephanie's birthday the same way as they did that first year since it was something that she would have liked. Valerie and Helen would complain that they didn't want to do it any more or that it was tiresome doing the same thing over and over again. Then Frank would get upset and remind them that this day was about Stephanie and not about what they wanted to do. At that point they would always reluctantly agree and pretend to have a good time for Frank's benefit, especially after what had happened after that first year.

Helen decided that while Frank was at work and Valerie was at school, she would go through Stephanie's room. She thought that it was time and that they could no longer just leave it alone as some type of memorial to her. She packed up all of her clothes and took them to the closest Salvation Army and just dumped them off. By the time Frank had come home her room was completely clean of anything that was a reminder of Stephanie. The only thing in there was a bed and a dresser.

After seeing that Frank looked at Helen and declared that she never really cared about Stephanie and stormed out of the house, he drove around for a while until he ended up at Pino's sitting at the bar and drinking. When the bartender told him that he was cutting him off and he was done, Frank started yelling and screaming at him and demanding another drink. The bartender who knew him, called Joe Juniak to come and pick him up. By the time Joe made it to the bar Frank was pretty much belligerent and completely drunk.

Joe walked up to him and said "Frank don't you think it's time to stop this? You've had enough. It's time to get you home."

Frank looked at him and snarled "I have no fucking home. That fucking bitch decided that she was going to go through Stephanie's room and clean it completely out. She took the clothes to the fucking Salvation Army. Then when Valerie came home from school she had her help finish getting rid of everything in it. There's nothing left of Stephanie in her own fucking room. She didn't even give me a chance to see if I wanted to keep anything, just threw it all out like it didn't mean anything and was fucking trash. Damn it, why couldn't she just ask me. You know yesterday was her birthday."

Joe said "Yes, I remembered. I lit a candle at the church for her."

Frank said "We went to the beach and had a great day yesterday celebrating it and then today it was like that bitch just wanted nothing to do with her anymore." He started crying and continued "How could she do that? How could she just throw it all away like it meant nothing to her? I'll never forget her but it's like she just wants to throw it all away. All the memories, all the love, she hated Stephanie anyway. Why did this have to happen? I feel so alone."

Joe replied "I know it's hard but maybe this is just her way of dealing with it. You need to sober up and talk to her. Let me take you home."

Frank said "No, I'm not going home and right now I hate her and never want to see her again."

Joe sighed and replied "You don't hate her, you love her and right now you're just mad and frustrated at her as anyone else in your position would be. Truthfully, I'm surprised it took her this long to do it. How about for tonight you stay at my house and sleep this off? Maybe it's not so wise for you to go home like this."

Frank just nodded his head. He got up and let Joe help him walk outside to the car. He opened the back door and climbed onto the seat and laid face down. By the time Joe made it to his house Frank was passed out. Joe pulled Frank out and threw him over his shoulder and carried him to the guest bedroom. He then walked into his bedroom, made the dreaded call and explained the situation to his Frank's wife. Joe telling her that he thought it would be best for Frank to stay with him until he was ready to go home.

Frank had actually stayed with Joe for 2 days, before Helen finally got worried enough and went over there. She explained to him how hard that this really had been for her and that she thought it was best for their family's peace of mind she needed to get it done while no one was home and while she hadn't able to get it done before Val got home. She didn't think that it had been a big deal that she helped her. She told him that while they had a great day celebrating her birthday that it was time to move on. He told her that while he didn't completely agree with her and how she had done things, he understood her thought process and ended up going back home. Occasionally they would still had the same argument but Frank never left the house and would just sit in his chair and ignore everything around him. The only other time he was attempted to leave was when Helen suggested that maybe they should try and have another baby. Frank had flipped out over that and then told her that would never happen. After that he kept his distance from her and moved some of his stuff to Stephanie's old room. Sometimes when Helen would try to get to close he would go sleep in there.

After that he just kind of fell into a pattern and would go to work, come home eat dinner and sit in his chair for the remainder of the evening. During dinner he would barely say a word and keep his head down and eat. Sometimes he would listen to his wife and daughter talk about their day and sometimes they would try to bring him into the conversations but he never would. He figured it was best to just sit there and be quiet rather than say something wrong and get into an argument.

This is what he did for a few years, until one day he walked into kitchen and saw Helen and Valerie sitting at the table and talking about what sounded like getting the entire city of Trenton involved with the 5 year anniversary of Stephanie's death. They wanted to make it some type of celebration and they were planning what needs to be done. It made Frank sick to hear them talk, to him it sounded like they were planning a huge party instead of a memorial. Frank just wanted to do something simple, kind of like what they did for her birthday but it didn't sound like that's what was going to happen.

Helen said "Frank, do you want to be involved with the planning for Stephanie's 5 year anniversary, with everyone that we want to invite we're looking at a least 200 people. We were talking about having a huge church service and then renting out the hall and having food and I want to see if the Tasty Pastry would make a cake."

Frank said "Cake what do we need cake for this isn't a party this is a memorial for the little girl that we lost. Why would you want to make this into some type of huge party that resembles one of Valerie's crazy birthday parties that you've started doing, which you know is way over the top?"

Helen said "Really Frank, we're celebrating her life. You know how much she loved cake so why wouldn't we want to have cake?" She walked over to him and tried to put her hand on his shoulder but he just backed away from her.

She winced and said "I wish you wouldn't act like that."

He replied "Why does there need to be a huge celebration, why can't it just be us and truthfully Helen I act like that because sometimes I think you care more about what the 'burg expects than you care about me. You don't care if I act like that here in the house, but the minute we are outside heaven forbid anyone knows we're unhappy and not perfect."

Helen looked like she had been slapped in the face and said "That's absurd, how could you even say that. Of course I care what you think or what we do or don't do. Why else would I be here?"

He looked at her in the eyes and said "Because you have nowhere else to go and it would look bad for you and disgrace you in front of your followers."

She said "That's not true. Yes sometimes I do want to keep up a certain appearance, but I do that for my family. I wanted to do this celebration to show everyone that we are united and that we are surviving this."

Frank shook his head and said "Don't you get it, we aren't surviving. The three of us are broken. I barely have anything to do with you and all you do is act like the world is fine and everything is perfect and poor Valerie, she just copies everything that you do, instead of being her own person. She never does anything without you. Aren't you tired of doing what everyone else expects you to do?" He stood in front of her and continued "and Helen you absolutely going to hate what I have to say next, but this family needs some serious help. It's been 5 years and we're all still hurting to the point it's killing us and it isn't going to stop until we can get counseling and before you say anything I don't give a damn about what the neighbors or anyone else thinks. Hell you don't even have to tell them, but we have to do this for ourselves in order to make our family whole again. Honestly I miss us and I don't want to act like this anymore. I'm tired of it all."

She nodded her head, she totally agreed with everything he said. What neither Frank nor Valerie knew was that she had taken to drinking during the day when they weren't home to get over the pain. There were times that she had tried to tell him but it never seemed like the right time. She figured now would be the best time to say something. Maybe if they were honest with each other they could finally start the real healing process.

So she opened her mouth and laid it all out there by saying "Frank, I need to be completely honest with you because I think you are right we need to get help and mostly me because I think I may have a drinking problem. I can't keep going on like this and I think that the best way to honor Stephanie would be to get our family help."

Valerie who had been watching this whole scene and with tears in her eyes walked over to Helen grabbed her hand and then reached out for Frank's as well. Frank quickly walked over and gave it to her and they just stood there like that for a few minutes. Valerie looked at both of her parents and said "I don't want a broken anymore, we'll never be the same but we need to be a family again and Daddy is right I miss us."

Helen and Frank decided at that moment that their family was more important than anything else and instead of having the huge remembrance that they were going to be plan, they would make arrangements to see a therapist and honor Stephanie's memory that way instead.

**Puerto Cabello, Venezuela – Trouble for the Jimenez's **

Osvaldo was sitting on the bench in the park watching his daughter play with her friends this had become a weekly occurrence one of the parents would take the kids to the park in the afternoon so they could hang out together, and this week was his turn to take them. As he was watching her he realized how much has changed in his life since Estefania come into his life 5 years ago. He still runs his business with precision but it's not always about work like it used to be. He's allowed himself to pass off more responsibility to his second in command and takes more time for vacations and just spending time with Estefania.

He knows because of what he does for a living that things aren't always easy and there have been times when his business was being threatened. In those times if she wants to go out then he just assigns more bodyguards to her, some she saw and some she didn't. She never complained and seemed like she didn't mind the additional guards. They explained during those times that some of the men didn't think it was fair that Tomas and Franco got to have all the fun hanging out with her so they wanted to join. It never lasted more than usually a week, but she accepted that explanation.

He wanted to throw her a party to celebrate the anniversary of her living with him but he was leery because he was starting to hear whispers that one of his biggest enemies was thinking about trying to take over one of his territories again. The last time this happened was right before Estefania came to live with him and it was bad. The Cortez family decided they wanted to move against him and it didn't fare well for them. He had to do things that he knows that would scare Estefania but in the end he kept his territory and got away with limited damage to his not only his people but also his merchandise. He was really hoping that it didn't come to a full blown war this time, because he didn't want to put her in the middle of that, but he would have no choice if it came to that. He has to defend what is his. He and his men are fully prepared for anything but now he had to think about what he would do with Estefania. He could hide her and protect her but he needed to think about what do to with her if the worst case scenario happens.

As he was contemplating this when his second in command Eric walked up to him and patted him on his shoulder. He saw Tomas and Franco in the distance closer to the kids and nodded to them. Then he sat down by Osvaldo and said "_Osvaldo we have a problem_." Osvaldo replied "_I know, I'm trying to figure out what to do with her if this war starts, it's not going to be pretty bad and I don't want her in the middle of it_."

Eric said "_I agree. However, that's not your only concern right now. Word is also that the __CICPC*__ is also looking into you, which isn't something we haven't gone through before but this time they are saying they have enough evidence against you to put you away_."

Osvaldo sighed "_Do you know what they have and what they are looking for_?"

He replied "_Looks like they've been given inside information on your latest acquisitions. We're determining if it was an inside job or if they are just on a fishing trip but it looks pretty serious. I think you might want to take her and disappear for a while until this goes away, maybe go to the island. It would be the safest place for you both and since no one knows about it but you and me. If you go there then you wouldn't need Tomas and Franco and they could help here. Plus it would be better for Estefania since we both know she hates being cooped up for too long_."

Osvaldo nodded his head and said "_How much time do I have and do you really think we need to leave?"_

Eric said "_Not much, and yes I would say that you need to leave and it should be done tonight. You need to let us handle the cleanup that needs to be done. I know that you like to be in control of it and what goes on but now you've got to think about that little girl over there and how much of this do you really want to expose her to. If you stay here then she will see the police searching every bit of your house including her room, and you know they will tear everything apart and destroy the rest of it looking for what they are hoping to find. _"

Just then Eric's cell phone rang, he looked at the caller ID and then answered "_What_" and after a lot of uh huh's and _yes'_s he hung up.

He looked at Osvaldo and said "_We found out who the leak is and he's been detained and taken one of the safe houses now. It's someone who's new. You've never met him since he's just starting out at the bottom. The theory is that he wasn't happy being the peon and thought he deserved a higher position. He figured he'd make more money from rolling on you than continuing the job he was given. How do you want the men to proceed with him?_"

Osvaldo growled "_Tell no one to touch him until I get there. He's mine! He tried to bring harm to my family and that WILL NOT be tolerated." _Then he looked over to where Estefania was at and yelled "_Estefania come here_." She got off of the swings noticing that he was using his no nonsense voice that told her he was in the mood to play or be questioned. He didn't use if very often when it came to her but she's heard him use it with other people so she quickly walked over to him. When she was in front of him, he said "W_e need to leave now, Franco will take your friends home and you and I will ride with Uncle Eric. I have some business that I need to attend to and you need to be at home while I do it_."

She looked at him and said "_OK Papi, can I at least tell them goodbye_?" He nodded his head. He needed to speak to the leak to find out exactly what he said so he can decide quickly what to do. She wouldn't like having to leave but Eric was right there is no way he would let her go through what the police would do.

She walked over to her friends and explained to them that Franco would be giving them a ride home and that she was going to be riding with her Papi and Uncle Eric. Diego sensing something was going on said "_Why can't I ride with you and have someone take me home later_?" Estefania told him "_Because Papi has some work that he needs to do and he wants me at home while he's taking care of it. I'll call you later OK, I promise_." He replied "_OK but if you don't call me by 7 then I'm sneaking out and coming to make sure you are OK_." She nodded her head and gave him a hug and then walked back to where Osvaldo and Eric were.

Osvaldo noticed the hug they shared and then saw the look on Diego's face as she was walking away. He wasn't happy that he couldn't go with her. This would be something that Osvaldo would really have to keep an eye on, it was OK and cute when they were little but now it seems that as they get older the bond they share is getting stronger. He's also noticed that lately Diego's been more protective of her as well, other than his cousin he doesn't let any other boys near her. He hasn't gotten into a fight yet but it's only just a matter of time. He'll have to talk to Diego's parents about it especially since Diego has already approached him about wanting to be hired to be her bodyguard when he's old enough.

When they finally got into the car Osvaldo looked behind him to Estefania and said "_Uncle Eric is going to drop you off and then he and I will be going out for a little bit. I want you to stay inside for the rest of the day, no going out on the grounds and DO NOT go to the beach. You and I may be taking a trip later today, so get with Maria to help you pack. Do you understand?_" She looked at him with a surprised expression and nodded her head. He knew she wanted to ask more questions but he also made sure that he had used his no nonsense tone as she called it, so she wouldn't question him.

Before they got to the house she quietly said "_Papi, do you know when you will be back and when we will have to go? Diego wanted me to call him tonight and if I don't he said he would come looking for me_."

He replied "_If we leave it will be some time tonight_." And she knew at that point that was the end of the discussion.

They pulled up to the house and before the car could come to a complete stop Estefania jumped out and slammed the door shut, running into the house without saying a word to him.

Osvaldo knew she wasn't happy with him right now but he couldn't help it, he also thought if this is how she is at 9 then how would he be able to handle her teenage years. He remembers what he was like and it wasn't good. Which was one of the reasons she really didn't know what he did really did for a living, his father had showed him at a young age what he did which is why he was the way he was. He was determined not to show her that ugly side, he knew that one day she would find out because she was a curious child and wanted to know everything but he hoped that when she did that it would be a long time from now.

Eric had pulled away and started towards the safe house. It took them about 30 minutes to get there, this was one of the houses that was further away and under one of his alias's that no one but him and Eric knew about. He basically told Eric everything because he trusted him the most.

They got to the gate that guarded the house, Eric put in the code and the gates opened. He drove down the long driveway and pulled in front of the house all the lights were out but that was expected since they both knew that their visitor was being held in the garage. Instead of opening the garage door and possibly exposing anything they walked into the house and entered the garage door seeing the man in question sitting in the middle of the room tied to an armed chair, he was still clothed but his feet were bare and his arms were strapped to the arms of the chairs. He looked like he'd had already taken a couple of hits as both of his eyes already had bruises starting to show.

Osvaldo walked up to him and the guy in question saw him and eyes widen and his skin paled knowing exactly who the man walking up to him was. Osvaldo stood in front of him and said "_What is your name?_" The man just sat there. Osvaldo slapped him across his face and said "_I asked you what your name was._"

The man still sat there and didn't say a word. Osvaldo losing patience he punched him in the nose. Everyone in the room could hear the crack, knowing that it was broken. The guy screamed and blood started dripping. Osvaldo bent down and looked him in his eye and said "_Again, what is your name and do you know who I am._"

The guy looked at him and finally said "_My name is Cesar and yes I know you._"

Osvaldo growled at him and said "_And what do you do for me Cesar?_"

Cesar replied snidely "_I'm a runner._" Osvaldo said "_Did you not find that job to your liking?_"

Cesar replied "_No, I thought I deserved something better than that._" Osvaldo asked "_Why is that?_"

Cesar told him "_Well my cousin told me about this job and since he's close to you I figured that I would get a better job. Then I got the job I did, I complained to him. All that asshole said was I had __**to**__ earn it and that I had to work my way up just like he did._"

Osvaldo asked "_Who is your cousin and please tell me why you think you are here now?_"

At that point Cesar knew he was caught but he thought he was too smart for them so he tried answer by saying "_My cousin is Tomas and I'm not sure why we are here. I was sitting in a restaurant when your goons here grabbed me and brought me here."_

Osvaldo sneered "_Interesting I wonder how he would feel about knowing what you did, and how you have now put his job and life in danger and I don't believe for a minute that you don't know why you are here. Eric I think you should call Tomas and see if he is available to come down here and have a chat with his cousin._"

Eric said "_Yes sir._" He then picked up his phone and dialed it, after a couple of rings Eric started talking. After a few minutes he hung up. He looked at Osvaldo and then looked directly at Cesar and said "_Tomas said that if this asshole thought that by going to the police would make him a richer man, then he's a bigger idiot than he thought and to please do what you feel needs to be done and he won't say a word. Osvaldo, he also wanted to apologize to you for bringing this piece of shit into your organization, his mama asked him to try to help him so he thought he was doing the right thing_."

Osvaldo smiled at Cesar and said "_So now how do you feel, know that your cousin has given me free rein to do to you whatever I want. The one thing that you need to understand is that you just didn't mess with me, you messed with the one thing that I cherish the most, my daughter. That is an unforgivable thing to do, which I imagine that you already figured that out by the look of you. My men are very protective of their little princess, especially Tomas since he's her bodyguard. _"

When he said that Cesar pretty much knew his fate was decided unless he could work things in his favor. So he said "_Mr. Jimenez I'm so sorry, I didn't know it would go like this. I didn't expect anyone to find out. I was approached by them and they said that if I help them they would give me anything I wanted. Please don't kill me._"

Osvaldo held his hand out to one of the guys and they placed a hammer in it. He looked at Cesar and said "_This is how this is going to work. I'm going to ask you questions and if I don't like the answer I'm going to start with your toes and work my way up to your fingers. Do you understand?_" Cesar nodded his head. Osvaldo continued "_Let's start with something simple, what did you tell the police?_"

Cesar said "_I didn't tell them much, since I don't know much._" Crack and a scream were the only sounds that could be heard. No one was worried about him screaming because the garage was completely soundproof. Osvaldo glared at him and said "_Not good enough. That was only your big left toe, now before I bust anything else, what did you tell them?_"

Cesar took a scared breath and started telling his story. He said "_I told them that I was a peon runner and didn't know anything. They must have known I was new because they basically said that was fine and that usually the runners are the ones who know the most. I tried to tell them that I wasn't interested but they just kept pushing every day for 2 weeks. I really tried to stay away from them but it was really hard because every day they would offer me more and more. Then one day I just gave in, my family had just finished yelling at me about being more responsible and why couldn't I be more like Tomas who seemed to have his life together. So when they approached me again I agreed and they said if I would give them information they would give me 635 bolivar (Venezuela's currency which equals out to $100 in US money) for each piece of information that I passed on to them. They also promised that after everything went down that I would only have to serve 6 months in prison and I'd be a free man, absolved of any wrong doing. So that's what I did, at first I started giving them stuff that I thought wouldn't be important, but they didn't like that and kept getting pushier and pushier until one day when I was handed an envelope to deliver to someone. I looked at it and it was a document that I guess was for a buyer of yours, because when I told them about it they got all excited and started talking about how they now had you._"

After hearing what he said everyone could feel the anger start to roll over Osvaldo, Eric knowing that his friends temper was on the verge of showing itself interjected and asked "_What was it that you told them that got them so excited?_"

Cesar said "_The document had a message on it that said you had acquired an interesting piece from China and wanted to know if they were interested in checking it out. It was too big to ship assembled and you didn't want to break it down without knowing if they wanted it and to contact him if they wanted to come and see it. After I told them that, they started talking and getting really excited and seemed to have some type of idea of what it was about. After that they stopped coming up to me every day, as a matter of fact I hadn't heard from them in almost 2 weeks until today. I was passed a note that said 48 hours, that was my cue that I had that much time before they were going to move in._"

Both Osvaldo and Eric said "_Shit_" at the same time. Eric said "_Osvaldo man, you've got to get out of here and take care of what we talked about." _Osvaldo shook his head no and in a menacing voice said_ "NO, everyone needs to leave this room for 30 minutes after that then I'll leave._"

Eric said "_There is no way I'm leaving you in here by yourself with him, you've already smashed his toe and given him a broken nose which is still bleeding. You can't do anything else that would make him bloody. You don't want to have to explain to her why there is blood on you or why you had to change clothes. You know her she'll notice shit like that. I know you want to hurt him so I'll make a deal with you, I'll make everyone else leave but I stay and you have 15 minutes and you can only use what you have in your hand now. Someone will call the house and let them know what needs to be done to get ready since there isn't much time._"

Osvaldo grunted and said "_Fine I'll take 15 minutes._" Eric nodded to the others and said "_Do you understand everything that needs to be done?_" They all nodded and Eric continued "_Then leave us and get it done."_

Everyone left and Osvaldo thought about walking over to the table that had all of the tools and making a show about looking them over but he looked back at Cesar, he knew that Eric was right and that it would be the cleanest thing that he could use. So he figured he'd follow through with his original threat and proceeded to alternate between smashing his toes and fingers and then smashed both of his knees. By that time Cesar had already shit and pissed himself and was screaming from the pain. Osvaldo knew that he wanted to do more damage but before he couldn't control himself he needed to get out of there.

After doing the only damage he could do Osvaldo turned to Eric and said "_I'm done. I need to leave._" Eric nodded and they proceeded to walk out of the door into the house. Tomas had shown up and looked at Osvaldo "_Is he still alive?_" Osvaldo said "_Yes, I couldn't do what I wanted because as Eric here explained I couldn't get any blood on me. We both know how she is_." Tomas nodded and laughed then got serious and said "_I'll make sure it's done and no one will miss him trust me_."

With that Osvaldo and Eric walked out of the house and got in to the car to go home leaving Cesar in the hands of his cousin. After seeing his cousin with two black eyes, a broken nose and smashed fingers, knees and toes. Tomas decided to walk over to the table with all the tools and pick up the pliers, the punch blade knife. As he walked back over to Cesar with those items in his hands Cesar's eyes got wider and said to Tomas "_Please don't do this, what will the family think?_"

Tomas gave him an evil smile and said "_First of all you betrayed me and threatened the life of the little girl that I __**am **__sworn to protect with my life and your actions put her in danger which therefore put me and our family in danger. So I have no reason to have any mercy for your life and as far as the family is concerned they don't care either. So now I get to do to you whatever I want. So here's the question I have for you, do you want to know what I'm going to do to you or do you just want me to do it and get it over with or the other option is I tell you what I'm doing as I'm doing it?_"

Cesar said "_Just get it over with at this point I know I'm not going to make it out of this garage alive."_

Tomas nodded and said "_As you wish."_ and then proceeded put the pliers in his pocket as he pulled out a lighter. He lit the lighter and held it over the punch knife heating it up. He slowly put the knife on his right arm and let it burn into his skin. At that moment Cesar started screaming. Tomas brought the blade up and then looked over to some of the men and said "_Somebody give me a sock or a rag to stuff in his mouth and some tape to keep it there._" He was handed a dirty oil rag and some duct tape. Tomas then balled up the rag and forced Cesar's mouth open and stuffed the rag in it and placed the duct tape over his mouth and pressed it down so it would stick really well.

Then he said "_Are you done now?" _Cesar slowly moved his head up and down and Tomas said "_Good._"

Then he heated the knife again and started to burn the section of the skin he already worked. You could smell the burning skin as he removed it. Then he took the sharp end of the knife and punched the charred spot. You could hear the muffled screams of Cesar. Tomas then handed the punch blade to someone else and took the pliers and started peeling back the burnt skin. Then reached for the punch knife and then started digging into the open wound after he had made a complete hole in his arm. Tomas reached over to left arm and took the knife and stabbed his left hand, putting a hole in that as he maneuvered the blade around making the hole bigger and bigger. He knew that he could do more damage to him but he thought at that moment he had more pressing matters to attend to, wanting to get back before Osvaldo and Estefania left. So he pulled his Glock out and aimed it at Cesar's head. Cesar who was already worn out looked at his cousin and started pleading for his life with his eyes.

Tomas looked at him and said "_Your life is no longer worth living. You have disgraced our family so now I'm going to end it for you." _He fired the gun and shot him right in the left eye. The shot blew his eye completely out and went through his brain and out the back of his head, killing him instantly. He left the garage and ran out to his car. He opened the trunk and quickly changed shirts, so he would no longer have blood on him he took the wet ones and wiped himself down. He got in driver's seat and speed his way back to the Jimenez's house.

Meanwhile, Osvaldo and Eric were pulling up to the house and noticed that Estefania was sitting on the top of the step. As soon as the car came to a complete stop she stood up and ran over to Osvaldo's door. When he opened it she reached in and hugged him tightly and quickly said "_I'm so sorry for getting mad at you, Tomas explained to me that we have to leave and that don't know for how long because right now things might be bad for you. I don't want you to cause you anymore stress so I'll do whatever you want. I'm so sorry_."

Osvaldo was surprised by her actions and with what she was saying, he looked at her and said "_My dear princess, what are you talking about?" _

She replied "_Right before Tomas left he told me that there were bad people who were out to get you and that they wanted to harm you and to put you in a horrible place away from everyone. I don't want anything bad to ever happen to you and I want to go where ever you go, it doesn't matter how long we have to be gone. I know it's not important to you but I made sure I called Diego, I didn't tell him that Tomas told me I just said we were going on vacation and that we don't know how long we'll be gone. He knew I was leaving stuff out and not telling him everything. He started questioning me trying to get me to say something but I didn't tell him anything. I know he wasn't happy but he can just get over that because you are more important to me than he is._"

Osvaldo smiled and hugged her and said "_I appreciate it princess, and you are right we need to leave. Now I will tell you where we are going. You see we own a private island where there is nothing around it but water, and the only ones going are going to be you and I." _

She said "Really? _Maria must have known because she made sure that both of us were packed and it's all sitting by the front door waiting for us._"

He walked with her up the stairs and into the house, when they stepped into the foyer he saw all their bags were there and ready to go. Eric walked up behind them and said _"I can get the plane ready and waiting for you to go. Seeing that you both are already packed I would say that as soon as you say your goodbyes to whoever we can go_."

Estefania ran up to her room and looked around and yelled for Maria. She came out of her room and they hugged and said that they would see each other soon. She found Franco and did the same with him.

As they were going down the driveway, Tomas was pulling in. Eric made eye contact with him to see if he was OK for them to stop. Tomas slightly looked down then nodded his head. Eric came to a sudden stop and then pointed at Tomas's car. Estefania saw what he was pointing at, she opened her car door and ran over to Tomas. He opened his door to say to hug her when she stopped and pointed to his neck where there was a red dot on it. She raised her eyebrows in question before saying "_You have a small red dot on your neck, is that blood? Are you bleeding?"_

Everyone froze knowing who's it was but wondering how to answer the question as well as thinking that she really misses nothing. After a couple of seconds Tomas said "_No I'm not bleeding, but I was helping someone that was and it must have gotten on me. But they are OK now and all taken care of, you don't have to worry about them_." The others listened to his response and got what he was saying about Cesar being dead.

Estefania shrugged her shoulders and said "_You're such a wonderful person for helping them, that's one of the reasons why I love you. I don't know if you heard but Papi and I have to leave. I'm sad that I won't get to see you all for a while and I'm really going to miss you. But I can't let Papi down and I have to be strong for him and do what he asks_."

Tomas leaned his head down and kissed her forehead and said "_I love you and will miss you too. You're being a good daughter by following your father's wishes. Now stay out of trouble while you're gone and behave yourself for him and promise me that when you get back that you'll give me one day to have you all to myself._"

She nodded her head and kissed his cheek and said "_I promise_."

With that she walked away from his car and got back in her car and shut the door, she turn her head and she smiled at him. Tomas looked up a little and saw Osvaldo sitting next to her, they caught each other's eye and Osvaldo mouthed to him "_Thank you._"

Tomas smiled and just nodded his head. He was sorry that his cousin did what he did and now because of it he was losing part of his family for a little while. He was going to miss that little girl like crazy. He knew that they all would, which will only motivate them do get whatever needed to be done quicker so their light can come back home soon. With that thought running through his head he watched as their car pulled out of the driveway and turn onto the street. Restarting his car he drove up to the house so they could figure out a plan to make this go away.

Eric drove to the airport and straight up to the plane it was a Cessna 310. He helped the staff load the luggage and the supplies they would need on the plane and then gave Osvaldo a manly hug and told him "_We will get this taken care of quickly and get you back home soon. I promise._" Osvaldo thanked him and hugged him back.

Then Eric turned to Estefania and picked her up, he didn't care that she was getting bigger he just needed to hold her for a few minutes. He whispered in her ear _"I'm going to miss you my sweetheart and I want you to be good for your Papi OK_." She laughed and said "_I'm going to miss you too and why does everyone keep telling me to b__**e**__good for him. I will tell you the same thing I told Tomas I promise I'll be good for him_." He laughed and pulled her in for a tighter hug and then leaned her back so he could see her eyes and said "_Good, now I know how you hate flying and this plane is a little smaller than the others so I left a little something for on the back seat._"

She said "_What did you leave for me?_" but he just shook his head, she knew he wouldn't tell her. She leaned in gave him one more big hug and kiss then got down and walked over to Osvaldo and took his hand. Together they climbed up the stairs of the plane and into the cabin, before the door could close Eric saw Estefania walk over to the doorway and stand in front of it holding a huge white stuffed dog that had tan spots. Estefania knew that it was a Mucuchie*, because it was the exact type of dog that she's been trying convince Osvaldo to buy her. She was looking at Eric when he pointed to the neck. She looked down at it and saw that around the neck of the stuffed dog was a collar that had Eric's, Tomas's and Franco's names engraved on it. Hanging from it was a tag that said no matter what we'll always **be** here to protect you. She blew him a kiss as Osvaldo waved to Eric told Estefania it was time to go. She climbed in the co-pilots chair with her dog on her lap. Osvaldo closed the door and climbed into the pilot's chair making sure that everything was working correctly.

A few minutes later the plane took off down the runway and then lifted off into the sky.

*Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales y Criminalísticas – Venezuela's largest national police agency, responsible for criminal investigations and forensic services.

***Mucuchies** or Venezuelan Sheepdog is a dog breed from Venezuela. They have a short coat with feathering along their limbs. The coat color is either white or white with splashes of colors such as honey or tan, or shades of black and gray. The Mucuchies is a very active breed. It is brave, trainable, affectionate, intelligent and trustworthy with those they know, but will act as a guard dog with intruders.


	10. Estefania Graduation

Again thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews. I can't believe how much everyone is so supportive and really likes the story.

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

Authors Note:

Spanish conversations are italicized.

**Puerto Cabello, Venezuela – Estefania Graduation **

It was a Saturday in Mid-February and because things had been so busy for Estefania and Osvaldo they decided to have a quiet weekend just the two of them. They were sitting outside on the patio enjoying the nice weather. She was on the lounge chair listening to her new iPod and trying to soak up some sun and Osvaldo was sitting at the table with a paper in his hands. He wasn't really paying attention to any of the articles but instead staring out to the ocean lost in thoughts. After a bit he turned his head toward her and called her name.

She had the music low enough that she could still hear him so she looked over to him and he said "_My princess, I was wondering if you have decided what you are going to do after this school year? You're coming up on the end of your 9__th__ grade year and you need to decide if you are going to continue your education or not_."

She took out her headphones and sat up to face him and said "_Yeah I know but I'm pretty sure that I will continue. I want to get as much education as I can, I'd actually like to study business so that I can help you._"

Osvaldo said "_OK good I'm glad and that's what I hoping you would say. So now that we've settled that we need to decide what type of party that you want to have after you graduate_."

She laughed at him and said "_You want to celebrate everything when it comes to me, just look at every birthday or special occasion that you've had or created for me. Yes I will agree to have some type of celebration but Papi please don't go overboard and you honor me too much_"

He smiled at her and said "_Good, I was hoping you would agree and now we can get started planning it._" He raised his hand before she could say anything and continued "_Before you even say anything I know that you are going to say that you don't need anything spectacular but really after every other party I've ever had for you in the past everyone will be expecting me to throw you one of the biggest celebrations that anyone has ever seen; and I don't always go overboard no matter what you think. I have these celebrations because you are my daughter and I love spoiling you. Honestly after all these years you really shouldn't be surprised that I want to do this_."

She laughed at him and said "_I know, but just so you are aware even when you think you aren't going overboard you are going overboard and crazy_."

He laughed with her and then replied _"I'll keep that in mind, so I'll find an event planner on Monday and talk to her and see what she says and then we'll go from there_."

She shook her head and then said "_An event planner really, you don't need one of those I'm sure that Maria or someone here will do it._"

He just shrugged his shoulders and said "_Nope I'm getting one and you will have to deal with it_."

Knowing their conversation was over she laid back down, closed her eyes and put her headphones back in and turned her music back on. She started thinking about how many parties that he's had for her and how big they were and how outrageous that some had become.

She started thinking about how things have changed within the past few years and how with everything that her Papi had done for the people of Puerto Cabello and the neighboring cities they had finally accepted her as Osvaldo's daughter and began to treat her like royalty. Everyone wanted the honor of having her attend their parties no matter what the occasion was. Many invitations came in the mail daily; so many that Osvaldo couldn't keep up and actually hired someone to help her keep her schedule straight and to make sure which ones she attend or not because of either scheduling or safety issues.

Margery would gather the invitations and review Estefania's calendar to see if there was an opening and if there was pass the to Tomas to review for safety. If there were no openings or if security was an issue she wouldn't be able to attend and a letter would be written stating she was unable to make it and a suitable present would be sent as an apology for her absence.

If she was able to attend then an acceptance letter was sent along with a statement that she would not be alone and that her bodyguards would be with her.

That was something that Osvaldo had made perfectly clear, especially after that time several years ago where they had to disappear to their private island for a couple of months. She was never allowed to go anywhere without her bodyguards. They did end up having to leave a few more times which was why when it came to her safety she never challenged him on anything that had to do with it.

Sometimes she felt smothered and just wanted to escape but she understood why it was necessary. She wasn't a little child anymore and was smart enough that she knew that her Papi was part of a dangerous world sometimes and he worried about her and if she could lessen some of that worry by dealing with the bodyguards then she'd deal with it.

Being the curious child she was she had even tried a couple of time to get Tomas and Franco to tell her what he did for a living but they wouldn't budge, she even tried to sweet talk her Uncle Eric once and he didn't give her anything either. So she stopped trying and maybe one day she would ask her Papi but for now, she was content and happy with her life.

Still lost in her thoughts she continued to think about what the next year of her life will be like. There were so many things that are coming up that she just knows that it was going to get crazy. There are some major changes coming up for her and her 4 best friends regarding school and life choices.

She and Isabella started the 9th grade a few months ago which means at the end of the school year they will have to decide which direction that they want to go. They had to decide whether they want to continue with their studies and if so then they would need to choose between either Science or Humanity courses or just leaving school all together and going in another direction for their life.

Nicolas and Nikole decided they want to continue and had started their first year with their Diversified Education. Nicolas decided on Science for his studies while Nikole choose Humanity. Diego also decided to continue and was in his final year, he had selected Science for his studies and after he graduates he'll have to decide what he wants to either continue on to the University or to go out and live in the real life.

After a little while she had enough of thinking about things so sat up and took out her headphones, she looked around and saw that Papi was gone so she got up and walked into the house looking for him. Not seeing him in the living room or the kitchen she headed up to her room. Walking in, she looked around and took notice of yet another change that had happened in the past couple of months.

She changed her room from the little girl bedroom and bathroom to one that was age appropriate for her. She had parts of the walls painted and got rid of some of the pink replacing it with different types of purple and although she had loved her carriage bed and it was big enough for her she just felt that it was too juvenile for her. She ended getting one that was a solid white wood frame with a queen size bed that had a soft light purple canopy that was attached high on the wall behind the bed but also hung over the sides of the bed.

She added a wall unit that included a desk and a cabinet that fit a large TV. It was a place that she could work on her homework and other things. She didn't really change much in her bathroom just got rid of some of the pink and added a shower even though she still loved lying in the tub and looking out at the ocean.

She settled down at her desk and figured that she would get some of her school work done, she still hadn't convinced Papi to allow her to go to public school but that didn't mean he let her slack off either. That was another change Maria was still her nanny/maid but now she had a tutor that came in every day during the week and made sure that she was completely up to school standards for her grade. She even gave her advanced courses to do. It seemed like she always had school work to be done.

About an hour later she was hunched over her desk deep into her studies when Osvaldo walked she was so deep into thought she didn't even notice him walk into her room. He said "_There you are!_" She startled a little, looked up and replied "_After I was done outside, I looked up and you were gone. I looked for you in the kitchen and the living room and you weren't there so I figured I'd come up here and get a jump on next week's homework. Where did you go_?"

He said "_Well when you went into your own little world I got bored so I went into my office to do some work._" He looked at her and laughed and continued by saying "_Look at the two of us. We both work too hard, how about we stop what we're doing and find something else to do?_"

She put her pencil up to her mouth and said "_I have an idea, but it's something we haven't done in a long time. How about we get the tent set up and have a movie night outside, just you and me?_"

His eyes lit up at that thought. She never ceased to amaze him. He loved that even at this age she still wanted to spend time with just him. He quickly said "_Yes we can do that I'll have the guys set it up right now. What kind of furniture do you want in it?_"

She thought about it and said "_Since you have already declared that we work too much and we need to enjoy the rest of the weekend, let's sleep out there as well. Is that OK?_"

He said "_Absolutely. Instead of the couches we'll put both of the portable beds out there and we'll watch movies and sleep on those._"

She shook her head no and at his confused face she said "_No, don't put both beds out there just the big one that way I can cuddle with my Papi tonight. We haven't done that since I was little._" For some this might seem odd but she felt that their lives had been so busy that she just needed some father daughter time. He started to get emotional so he just nodded his head, picked up his phone and started placing orders to the staff to get everything ready. He looked up at her and whispered "_Popcorn machine?_" She shook her head no and smiled really big whispering back "G_ummy bears._" He laughed and added that to the things he was telling his men.

He got off the phone and said "_Everything should be set up within the next couple of hours. How about we go down to the beach and take a walk?_" She put her pencil down, stood upand grabbed his hand walked down to the beach. They both tossed their phones in the basket by the door and they had a great weekend laughing and enjoying each other's company.

Monday morning just like he said he would Osvaldo started doing research on an event planner and after a few calls he had narrowed it down to 3 of them and made appointments to see them that day. He decided that he wasn't going to take Estefania with him this time. He needs to make sure that whoever he chooses knows that her safety is the most important piece to her party above anything else. It was something that he didn't want to discuss in front of her, he knew she didn't fight him about it even though she felt trapped sometimes, but she didn't need to know the extent that he was going in order to protect her either.

That evening when he came home and they were both sitting at the table eating he said "_Estefania, I found the person that will be planning your __graduation party. She's an older woman and I've already met with her and hired her. She knows exactly what I want and says she can manage it._"

The next couple of days was spent with them both doing work, Osvaldo working and Estefania doing her school work. Osvaldo had told her tutor on Tuesday that she would not be available for a study session on Thursday and to make sure that any lessons that she would have been given have them ready on Wednesday and that he would make sure that all of her work would be completed for Friday when she got there.

Estefania just laughed when he had told her that, thinking how planning this party possibly could take the entire day.

Thursday morning came and her planner knocked on the door bright and early, she was shown into the living room where she was greeted by both Osvaldo and Estefania. She shook his hand and then walked up to Estefania and said "_Hi I'm Ms. Lago, you must be Estefania. Your father didn't do you justice. You are a beautiful and exquisite young lady_."

Estefania replied "_Thank you._"

Ms. Lago said "_Are you ready to start planning your graduation party_?"

At the woman's enthusiasm all Estefania could do was nod her head up and down.

Ms. Lago started by handing them each a folder with multiple papers in them and saying "_OK, so I'm going to go over everything that we will need to do. Here's a packet of everything that we are going to go over as well as what will need to be done and the time table in which is needs to be completed."_

She looked over at Osvaldo and said "_Let's quickly go over the checklist that's the first piece of paper in your packets so that you know what to expect. First thing that needs to be done determine a budget. Then you will need to know what day she graduates, once that is determined then you need to set a date. __ We need to determine where you want the party to be held. There are 3 different types of venues renting out a place, have it in a restaurant or you can have the party here in your house. If you rent out a place then we need to find out if that venue caters, and if they don't then we'll need to research and book caterer. Y__ou will need to __start on a preliminary guest list and decide the size of your party. Also you will need to decide if you want a DJ or hire a band. Do you have any questions so far?_"

They shook their heads no and she continued "_If you decide to hire a band then we need to arrange auditions for the specific type of music that you want. We will also need to figure out a theme and what decorations you want. We'll also need to decide on announcements and the type of invitations that you want to send out_."

Osvaldo said "_OK let's go over some of the things on the checklist. The first thing is there's no budget she can get whatever she wants to. The party will be here at the house since this is where she has most of her parties. It's easier for me to me to maintain complete control over the event. We won't need to worry about hiring a caterer we have a chef on staff that will prepare any foods that she wants for her party. Yes we will have entertainment, when she decides who she wants we need to figure out what they want and what it will take to make sure they are here. I would appreciate you getting together some samples of the invitations and announcements for us to go over. The main thing that I really need you for is to make sure everything stays organized and for everything to go smoothly. Estefania and I are so busy we wouldn't be able to do it."_

Just as she was about to start one of the servants came in and said "_Mr. Jimenez the chef has lunch prepared and would like to know when would you like it and where do you want it to be served?_" They all looked around looking for the closest clock and realized that is indeed lunchtime.

Osvaldo said "_We'll eat now and please set it up in the dining room._" She said "_Yes sir_" and quickly walked away.

Osvaldo stood up and said "_It's time for lunch, Ms. Lago you are more than welcome to join us and we can talk more about it as we are eating, but I have promised Estefania's tutor that she will have today's assignments completed by tomorrow. How much more do you think we need to cover today?_"

Ms. Lago replied "_I appreciate your offer but I think we've covered enough for today. I'd like to set up a weekly meeting for us to make sure that we keep track of everything and what needs to be done and what is already done._"

Osvaldo nodded and said _"I agree. Monday's are good so that we know what's been accomplished for the previous week and what needs to be done the next week._"

Ms. Lago replied "_That works for me. We'll set it up for every Monday in the morning_." They all agreed and then Osvaldo and Estefania escorted Ms. Lago out. They went into dining room and started to talk about everything they went over this morning.

Estefania got up and yelled "_Wait a second_." as she was running out of the dining room. When she came back she had her folder from Ms. Lago and a pen. She sat down and opened the folder and looked at Osvaldo and said "_I was wondering if we could do a combined party for Isabella and me. I know they don't have money and Diego is getting ready to go to University and they are worried about how they are going to pay for it._

He looked up at her and knew that this was coming so he said "_Yes, honestly I think that would be a good idea._"

She nodded her head and said "_But what will Ms. Lago think?_" He said "_Don't you worry about her if she says anything then I'll take care of it, this is your special day not hers._"

She smiled at him got up and gave him a big hug and said "_Thank you. __Now we just need to speak to Isabella and her family. Can we have a small get together this weekend to go over everything?_"

Osvaldo said "_I think that's a great idea. I'll get started on that._" Since they were done eating he got up and walked out and into his office. Estefania got up and went into her room to work on her school work.

When Saturday came around Isabella came with her family. It had been a few weeks since she had seen any of them so when Estefania saw Diego she ran up to him and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, which had been their customary greeting. Then she greeted Isabella with a hug as well as their mom and dad.

They walked into the living room and everyone sat down, with Diego sitting close to Estefania. Osvaldo explained to the Barros family what Estefania's idea was and they were extremely grateful. They were worried how they were going to manage it especially if Diego wanted to continue his education. They knew there were some free scholarships but his grades weren't all that good, not because he wasn't smart just because he got distracted.

After they were done they decided to go outside since it was a nice sunny day. Isabella and Estefania went to her room to change into their bathing suit and Diego went into the guest bedroom.

After they were done changing and came out of the rooms Diego said "_Isabella go ahead and go outside we'll be right there. Estefania, can I talk to you for a second?_"

She paused and said _"Yes of course._" And she led him to the couch in her room.

He looked nervous and said "_You know you are the only girl that I have ever wanted and I know that we're still young but I want you to be only mine. I know that we've never had this talk but I want you to be my girlfriend._"

Then he leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on her lips

She thought about it and the kiss they just shared was something special it wasn't like all the times before. She looked at the honesty in his eyes and saw that he truly felt something for her so she said "_Yes._"

He grabbed her and kissed her again. She smiled at him and said "_I think we better get back downstairs before Papi sends a search party for us, he might start wondering what is going on._"

As she finished her sentence they heard her Papi's voice booming through the house calling her name. They quickly got up peeked their heads out of her bedroom and she yelled back that they were on their way down.

As they were walking down the hall towards the stairs Diego grabbed her hand and held on to it. As they got down the stairs Osvaldo notice they're hands were joined and just as he was about to say something the front door opened and it was Eric. He noticed what was going on and decided this one time to come to his God-daughter's rescue and walked over to them and said "_Come on you two let's go out back so can have a good swim before lunch_." And he shuffled them off to the backyard.

After they were done swimming and finished eating Estefania and Diego were off to the side standing next to each other with his arm wrapped around her waist, they were talking quietly and in their own world. Isabella walked over to them and immediately started questioning them about what was going on and Diego proudly said "_I asked her to be my girlfriend and she said yes_."

Osvaldo hearing that nearly choked on his drink and Eric chuckled and started patting his back.

Estefania turned her head hearing the choking sounds from her Papi and looked at him and said "_Are you OK_?" He smiled and nodded his head. So she turned back around and started talking to her Diego and Isabella.

Osvaldo started talking to Diego's family regarding this new stage of their relationship between their children, they all agreed that they knew that this was where they were heading but trying to decide if it's too early and if they are too young. Osvaldo had concerns about Estefania being younger, but Diego's parents said they would speak to him and make sure he understood what the proper way to treat a girl.

After a little bit Isabella got so excited about things that she grabbed her away from Diego and moved over to the lounge chairs to sit down and start talking about their dresses.

While the girls were busy Osvaldo feeling somewhat assured by his parents was still uneasy decided he wanted to speak to Diego himself walked over to him and asked if he could speak to him alone. Nicolas nodded his head and walked away.

Osvaldo started by asking him _"I know that you are still young and have a lot of decisions that you have to make regarding your schooling, but I want to know where your head is regarding my daughter._"

Diego looked at him and said "_Sir, you know since that first day I have always felt something special for Estefania and I can tell you now with absolute certainty that I love her_."

Osvaldo stared at him like he didn't quite know what to say, but then he decided that if he truly did love her that it could work to his advantage. So he said "_I see. So from what she has told me you're trying to decide if you want to go to University or not_"

Diego said "_Yeah, I guess it would depend on what you have to offer me because you know I've told you before that I wanted to join your team and become her bodyguard. I was serious about that._"

Osvaldo replied "_Yes you have, I'm not sure if being her bodyguard would work, but then on the other hand if you truly love her than you would do whatever you had to in order to keep her safe. I think I may have a deal for you."_

Diego looked at him questioningly and said_ "What would that be?_"

Osvaldo said "_I know Tomas is getting older and in a few years may not be as sharp as he once was and I want Estefania to go to college. So I'm thinking that I will pay for you to continue your schooling in exchange for when she goes to University you protect her for at least a couple of years while you are there. To make thing easier I will buy a house near the campus that you all can live in. The two of you WILL each have your own rooms, there will be NO sharing. In addition I will also set time up with Tomas and Franco and possibly Eric regarding training for you. How does this sound to you?_"

Diego said "_That sounds good to me, it will make my mom and dad happy that I will be continuing and that they won't have to pay for it._"

Osvaldo said "_You know Estefania will want to know what we were talking about and that's up to you what you decide to tell her and how honest you want to be._"

Diego wasn't quite sure if this was a test or not, he knew the man in front of him never kept anything from her so he figured he would go with the truth would be best and said "_If she asks I will tell her. I won't lie to her. Ever!_"

Making it understood that no matter what Diego would always be honest with her. Osvaldo nodded his head and shook his hand.

Just then Estefania walked up to them put her arms around both of them and said "_What are my two favorite guys over here talking about?_"

Osvaldo looked at Diego laughed and walked away. Leaving him to explain what they were talking about. Diego gave him a look that said thanks a lot.

Diego went on to explain the conversation that he had with Osvaldo. Needless to say she wasn't happy with the part about her Papi hiring him to be her bodyguard but she did like the idea of him being with her.

As they were standing there Eric came over to them. Estefania said "_Hey Uncle Eric_." He looked at her kissed her cheek and said "_Hi princess. Can I speak to your boyfriend privately?_" The way he said boyfriend let them know that he was in for a grilling.

So Estefania just said "_Uncle Eric be nice, he's the same Diego that you've known since the day I met him._"

He nodded his head but then added "_Yes but now he's more and he needs to know that he's not allowed to break your heart._"

She shook her head mumbled "_Men_" and walked away.

Eric started in with by saying "_I understand you want us to set up a training schedule. You do realize that if you do become her bodyguard that there will be a lot of responsibility put on your shoulders. She's a hand full on a good day, but there are days where she is worse and doesn't want to listen to anyone. Being her boyfriend/bodyguard how are you going to handle that and are you prepared to be tough on her and make her listen to you?_"

As Eric was finishing his sentence Tomas walked up and added "_You don't know this but there have been many times that she has tried to lose us when we are out, she hasn't done that in a while especially since she knows that there are many threats that are out there. Also are you prepared to let her go if they have to disappear again? I don't even know where they go, no one does._"

Diego listened to the things they were saying and what they said made sense. Not only was it his responsibility to protect her from others but his responsibility to protect her from herself. He'd definitely think about it and what would happen in the future.

He looked at both men and said "_I realize that and I don't know if I could be forceful with her but I would try my best to get her to listen, I'd like to think about it some more but for now I would like to start my training._"

They both nodded their heads and Eric said "_We'll get something set up for you._" and then they walked away.

After a while the Barros family decided that it was time to go, they thanked Estefania and Osvaldo for their generosity again and the two girls promised that they would talk about who they wanted the entertainment to be and any decorations that they wanted.

Under watchful eyes Diego gave Estefania a quick kiss and said "_I'll call you later._" She smiled and said "_OK._"

Before they knew it, it was April and Estefania and Isabella had pretty much figured everything out regarding the party. They had decided on a black and white themed party. They also came up with a guess list, between the two of them there would be about 75 guests, most of them being from Estefania's side. They had decided what they wanted to serve for food going with more traditional foods so there was plenty of seasoned beef, pork and lamb as well as some seafood dishes. There was also quite a few sides and different types of salads.

The only things they had to still figure out were the music and the cake. They needed to figure out if they wanted to get two cakes or one big one. If there were two cakes than each girl would have to design their own cake.

It was Monday afternoon and they were getting ready to meet with Ms. Lago, the meetings were changed so Isabella could attend, since she had classes in the mornings.

Once everyone was there and ready to start the meeting, Isabella and Estefania said they had decided who they wanted to perform at the party there was a very popular Latin pop music his name is Carlos Baute. Ms. Lago wrote his name down and said she would contact him first thing in the morning. She asked "_Do you have a second choice just in case he isn't available?_" Estefania said "_Yes if he's not available then there is a singer from Columbia named Shakira. She's just starting out but we really like her music._"

Osvaldo said "_Try to get both of them, remember money is no object. My princess wants them._"

Ms. Lago nodded her head and said "_Now that you have decided that we need to decide about the cake._"

Isabella said "_We decided to have one big cake and we would like it to be in the shape of books, like we use for our classes._"

Ms. Lago said "_Very good, I'll meet with your chef regarding all the food and the cake. Sounds like we have everything covered now we just need the both of you to graduate. Once I speak to Carlos Baute and Shakira I will let you know what they say._"

With that she got up and left, Osvaldo looked over at the Burros family and said "_Dinner should be ready soon would you all care to join us? There is one more thing that I would like to discuss with Estefania and Isabella regarding their party._"

They agreed and moved to the dining room and sat down, Diego again sitting right next to her.

He'd had been working on his training with Eric and Tomas and it was going well, by the time he went to Universidad Panamericana del Puerto which is located in Puerto Cabello. It was decided that he would go there until Estefania decided where she wanted to go in a couple of years.

When they were all seated Osvaldo said "_I know that you both will enjoy your graduation party but I believe that there is something that was missed by Ms. Lago, dresses. I hope Mr. and Mrs. Barros that I haven't over stepped but I've gotten both girls dresses_."

He motioned for one of his servant and they walked out and came back in with two big boxes. The servant placed the one marked Estefania in front of her and the one marked for Isabella in front of her. They both stood up and opened the boxes and pulled the dresses out, they were identical except for the color.

The dresses were made of lace with a sheer delicate lace overlay that formed a V-cut neckline with the skirt falling just above the knee. Estefania was a made of a light purple lace and Isabella's was made out of a light blue color. Since those were their favorite colors.

They were both so excited they ran over to him and gave him a huge hug and were thanking him over and over.

After dinner the Barros' left which seemed to be an everyday thing, since the girls were planning the party together, but that seemed like it would calm down now that everything had been decided.

Ms. Lago had called Osvaldo and informed him that both singers had agreed to perform at their party. She also told him that the invitations that they had ordered a while ago were ready and she would be picking them up and then would be mailing them out.

He thanked her for her hard work and then hung up. He told Estefania what Ms. Lago had said about the singers they wanted and she immediately started screaming and ran up the stairs to go call Isabella.

Finally the day had come for their party. School was over and they all had passed with flying colors.

The girls had changed into their dresses and made their way down the stairs where Diego was waiting for Estefania and Isabella's new boyfriend Maximo or Max was waiting for her.

They both escorted them to the grand formal dining room where the doors were currently closed waiting for them to make their grand entrance. They noticed that right beside the door was a table that had all of their gifts on it. Their eyes got wide seeing how many there were.

Once the doors opened and they were announced they walked into the room and saw that it had been transformed into a huge party space. The large dining room table had been pushed back along the wall and on top of it was all the food that they wanted. Next to that was a smaller table that had all the desserts on it including their cake.

There were 7 round tables set up with black table clothes that had white accents and the chairs having white covers and black ties on the back. In the middle of the tables was a table that only sat 4 people. That was the guests of honor table. It was decorated the opposite of the other tables.

The centerpiece for the guests of honor's table were 3 glass cylinders, one had black marbles at the bottom and filled with water with purple tulips in the water while a floating candle is placed on top of them so they don't float out. The second one was the same thing except the tulips were a blue color, and the third one had a mixture of both colors.

The other tables had similar centerpieces only they had red roses in them instead of tulips.

All the guests were there and cheered when the girls walked in with their escorts. The boys escorted the girls to their table and they all sat down.

They looked around and noticed that there was a small stage set up in the corner of the room where Carlos and Shakira would perform and in front of the stage was a dance floor.

Osvaldo walked over to the girls and their escorts and said "_Ladies you look absolutely beautiful. The food is ready for you to start eating, everyone was told to wait until you got yours first. So please go help yourself._" and then walked away.

Diego kissed Estefania's cheek and said "_My sweet, sit there and I will make a plate for you._" and he walked away to get their plates.

Since Max didn't know what Isabella liked they walked over together to get their plates. She leaned over to him and whispered "_Don't worry about not getting my plate, its fine. We haven't been going out that long and the two of them have known each other since we were 4._" He just nodded his head and said "_OK._"

Once they had gotten their food everyone started to get up and get their food, after everyone had eaten Shakira took the stage and started to sing. All of the teenagers got up and started dancing and having a good time. She sang for about an hour. Carlos took the stage and started to sing and since everyone knew him he they were all singing and dancing and having a great time. By the time he finished, he'd had been playing for almost 2 hours.

After he was done Osvaldo had a stereo turned on so he could keep the music playing so whoever wanted to could continue dancing.

Carlos walked up to Estefania and said "_Thank you for inviting me to play at your party, I had a wonderful time. Would you do me the honor of dancing with me_?"

Before he had finished his sentence Diego was by her side staring at Carlos and said in a menacing voice "_No she doesn't want to dance with you._"

Estefania never one to like the whole macho possessive thing glared at Diego and then turned to Carlos and said "_I'm so sorry for his rude attitude but thank you anyway, but I'll pass this time. However, I do know someone that would like to dance with you. Diego's cousin Nikole_." Ignoring Diego she looped her hand through Carlos's arm and walked with him over to where Nikole was standing and introduced them and he asked her to dance which she gladly accepted.

She went back to her table and proceeded to ignore Diego, after multiple tries to get her to talk to him he finally walked over to the dessert table and brought a piece of cake over to her as a peace offering. She took it and then gave him a small smile. He knew at that point she would forgive him and they would be OK.

He knelt down on one knee beside her and looked at her and said "_Would you dance with me, please?_" She sighed and said "_Only if you quit with the macho crap. I'm yours and I don't intend to change that but I'm not an object that you own, you have to let me make my own decisions. Understand?_"

He nodded his head and said "_I promise I'll try and keep it to a minimum, but you are so beautiful and other guys will want to dance with you. It drives me insane when I see any guy talk to you, you're mine._"

She shook her head and replied "_Well that's just something that you will have to deal with from time to time and if there is someone else that I want to dance with that doesn't mean that I don't want to be with you anymore. You have to trust me._"

He put his head down but raised his eyes trying to give her his sad eyes. She stood up laughing at him and then said "_Come on macho man, let's go dance the rest of the night away._"

And that's exactly what they did, until the party was over and everyone left to go home.


	11. Is it Possible & Meeting Estefania

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

Authors Note:

Here we are to the exciting part of the story.

Spanish conversations are italicized.

**Washington DC – Is it Possible?**

He was sitting in his chair staring at the pictures in front of him that he just got that were in a folder marked confidential. He was praying that what he was he was looking at was real. He also knew that if they were then it had the potential to create havoc for a lot of people.

All that was in the folder were the pictures and a note. He knew it came from a reliable source, but he had nothing else to go on. He had no idea what he should do. Should he send someone in to check it out, should he tell the people involved, or should he just leave it alone and act like he never got it?

Commander Franklin thought of all the cases that he'd worked on and this was the one that had hit him the hardest. He had done everything in his power and spent years trying to prove the original report was wrong but no matter what he'd always came up empty handed.

He still remembers when he got that frantic phone call from his old Major saying his little girl was missing. He knew he had to help them and had agreed but after getting the Intel report saying that she actually had been kidnapped and by who, it ate up him and then getting that information that she was on that plane that had been hit by a land missile and blown up and there was no mistaken that she was dead. A little piece of him died that day for that little girl.

He could still see the photos, especially the ones that had been close ups of what could have only been pieces of what was left of her. Even thinking about those now made his stomach roll. He hadn't added those pictures to the report that he'd sent to the family, there would have been no need for them to see them. They were hurting enough and he didn't want to add to their pain.

It had been 16 years ago. He looked down at the pictures again and shook his head to clear it. He hated having these feelings brought back up and knew that there was no way that he wouldn't get consumed by it again. He needed to find someone he could trust and would help him to not over think things. This person needed to have no knowledge of the prior case so they could be objective and have an open mind. They also needed to be in a position to stand up to him when he's being unreasonable or when he's just plain wrong.

He started going through everyone in his mind and then suddenly knew exactly who he could go to. His newest Captain and most experienced Ranger. It also helped that he was the best strategist and if he decided to get more information could help him get everything organized because he was good at planning ops missions.

The Commander knew that he had just come back from a tough mission and was still in Washington recovering and he would only be here a few more days before he ironically headed back to his home where all of this began. So he needed to speak to him as soon as possible.

He picked up the phone and told his secretary to contact the Captain and tell him that hisCommander had something he wanted his help with and to come to his office at his earliest convenience because this was time sensitive. After that he got up and walked over to his filing cabinet and reached in and pulled out the fake back that he had installed and then pulled out the old file that he had kept hidden. Just as he finished his desk phone buzzed and his secretary informed him that the Captain would be here within the hour.

He started going over the old report to occupy his time until the Captain got there. He really didn't need to read it anymore to know what it said he pretty much knew it word for word, but still there was always that small chance he would see something new.

Seeing new he picked up the pictures from today and started staring at the young woman that was in them, if that was her then she had grown up to be a beautiful woman. Every picture he looked at showed her constantly laughing and smiling and looking genuinely happy.

He was brought back to reality by a sharp knock on his door and quickly yelled "Enter."

The door opened, and in walked the man he was hoping could help him. The Captain said "Sir, you wanted to see me?"

Commander Franklin looked at him and said "Yes, I need your help but this is absolutely top secret and confidential and no one else can know we had this conversation until a decision has been made on how to proceed."

The Captain looked at him a little funny but then straightened up and said "Yes sir, you can trust me sir."

Commander Franklin ran his fingers through his hair and had a wary look on his face he sighed and motioned for the soldier to sit down. Once he sat down the Commander slid the two folders over to the end of the desk and said "We aren't Commander and Captain right now we are just two people working on a problem and trying to come up with the best possible solution on what needs to be done. Carlos son, I really need your help with this and I need your expertise. For once in my life I have no idea on what to do and I need you to be really honest and objective."

Never seeing his Commander this distraught before made him wonder what they could be working on, adding in the fact that he called him by his real first name. No one called him Carlos anymore, everyone called him Ranger. The nickname started after he'd joined the Rangers training program and showed everyone exactly what the meaning of being the best of the best really meant. He blew away every top score and was now the Poster "Ranger" for everyone to beat.

He looked at the Commander and said "Sir, I've never seen you this distraught before. What's going on?"

Steven pushed the old folder towards Carlos and replied "I need you to review this file and tell me what you see and think and if you agree with the findings."

Carlos grabbed the older looking folder and started to go through it. He read the reports a couple of times wanted to make sure he was thorough and then finally looked at the pictures. He saw there were pictures of what the little looked like before she was taken and then the ones from after the plane had blown up. He grimaced at the latter ones, he normally had a strong stomach but those pictures of that little girl were horrific and had his stomach trying to decide which way it wanted to go.

He closed his eyes and finally got his stomach to settle. He opened his eyes back up and then looked up to Steven and said "These look pretty thorough and based on everything that I read and see I would have come to the same conclusion."

Steven just pointed to the second folder and Carlos picked it up. Looking through the pictures, he studied them and then he picked up the one of the little girl that was the before pictures and held it against the current one her had in his other hand. He could see the same curly hair and the same piercing blue eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that this was the same person.

Carlos looked back up at Steven with a questioning look.

Steven nodded his head said "I'm not sure, that's what we need to figure out. We both know that deaths can be faked and if this was then it was a damn near perfect because originally we had looked into that being a possibility. Especially when right after all of this happened a little girl had showed up at his house. We did months of extensive research to prove that it was her but it was proven to a servant's child instead. I know of the guy that took her and he has always been a very resourceful and ruthless person. He would know exactly what would need to be done in order to do this. He's very knowledgeable and definitely has the means and the ability to pull this off."

Steven took a deep breath and said "We almost caught him quite a few times on weapons charges but somehow he always seemed to know what was going and managed to disappear into thin air. We could never figure out where he went or how he got there and before anyone could get organized enough to raid his offices or his home his people would make sure there was no incriminating evidence anywhere, so there was never anything to formally charge him."

Carlos just nodded his head understandingly and Steven continued "Then today I walk in my office and find this folder on my desk with these pictures and a quick note. They are from the guy who was one of our informants from the original case and had taken the original pictures of the plane. The note said that recently took his son to college or as they call it over there University. He noticed a woman walking around campus and thought that he recognized her from somewhere. It wasn't until the next day that he recognized her, she was standing there talking to a couple of people and when him and his son had managed to get close enough she had turned her head and he saw her eyes. Those are something that you never forget."

Carlos thought about it and agreed that they were something he would never forget.

Steven continued "The note said that after that moment where she looked at him, he knew that he had to discretely follow her and take pictures and send them to me."

Carlos said "Did he provide you with any information about what she is up to now, what name she uses?

Steven said "No he didn't, that's why I need your help. I'm trying to decide if I should leave it alone, tell the family she's still alive, or collect Intel and if possible get her the hell out of there."

Carlos thought about it and said "Well I wouldn't tell the family until we have the Intel that said she is who we think she is. I'm sure they were devastated by this and you don't want to bring those feeling back up unless it's true. My gut says it's her and by you calling me in here, you're telling me your gut is saying the same thing. Is there any way we could get someone to at least find out her name or who those people are with her? If we could get that then we can figure out where we want to go from there?"

Steven thought about it and picked up his sat phone and dialed a number. When the person answered Steven pressed the button to put it on the speaker so they both could hear.

He said "Avi this is Commander Franklin and I have Captain Manoso with me. We want to talk about the pictures."

Avi said "I'd figured you'd be calling me. Anticipating that you'd want to know if I was able to get a little information, I asked my son to approach her. I told him he needed to be discreet and not draw to much attention to himself. So yesterday he saw her walking by herself and went up to her and asked her how to get to one of the student halls. He said when she replied and spoke to him, she spoke like a native Venezuelan and had no signs of any type of English accent. He started to ask her a few more questions but this man that looked a couple of years older walked up to them put his arm around her possessively and basically told him to get lost and to stay away from her. My son also said that at that point the two started arguing and she defended my son saying he was just asking for directions and that he needed to stop being so over protective."

Carlos interrupted him and said "Did your son say if that guy was a boyfriend or a bodyguard?"

Avi replied "He said he guessed both, boyfriend by the way he was touching her but then he was acting like a bodyguard by constantly scanning the area while also trying to appear menacing to my son. He also said that after they were done arguing she took my son's hand and shook it completely ignoring the guy and said her name was Estefania. Then she laughed and apologized for the way that the macho man was acting. He told her that he understood and told her his name. She said it was nice to meet him but then the guy said we have to go and proceeded to pick her up and throw her over his shoulder and carried her away with her laughing. "

Carlos said "Estefania is Stephanie in Spanish, so that's a positive sign. But I have a feeling that the guy with her is going to be a problem. If we want to get anymore Intel we're going to have to find someone who can get through him."

Avi said "I don't think my son would be able to do that. My son is not a big kid and doesn't like confrontations and this guy is pretty big as you can see from the photos. So, are you planning on sending someone here? The University that she's going to called Universidad de los Andes. I'm not too far from there so I'll help any way I can."

Steven quickly looked it up on the computer and said "That's a little over 7 hours from where Puerto Cabello is, do you think that he would allow her to go that far from her."

Avi spoke up with "I'm not sure but if my son's account of the fight she had with that guy, she likes her independence."

Steven at that point said "Avi, thank you for all your help. I need to discuss some things with Carlos and then if we do send someone over there I'll let you know. If you are able to find anything else out let me know, but make sure your son keeps a low profile we don't need him getting hurt."

Avi agreed and then hung up the phone. Steven looked over at Carlos who looked like he was deep in thought.

Then Carlos looked up and said "I may have a plan."

Steven knowing where Carlos was going with his plan said "Forget it, you're still recovering from the last one, and I didn't bring you in to have you go over there I just wanted your thoughts on what I should do."

Carlos said "This may be the only way that it would work. For now it would only be to gather Intel but If we did end up needing to work it as an Ops then you would need a strong man that can go up against this guy. I mean look at him in the picture again and think about how he reacted when Avi's son walked up. You need someone who could go toe to toe with him."

Steven signed and said "You're right of course but I don't like you doing it, it's too soon after your last one."

Carlos got up to pace for a few minutes thinking and then he reached over to Steven's desk and picked up his desk phone and dialed a number. When the other person answered the phone Carlos said "I need you in DC now" and then hung up.

He turned to Steven and said "I have another idea and I think there's a way we can get some Intel and find out where her head is without risking too much. Because let's face if we do find out that it's her that doesn't mean that she may not want to come back. She looks pretty happy and well-adjusted so there's a chance that she wants to stay there, no matter what anyone wants over here."

Steven nodded his head in understanding and said "Let me know what you need and I'll make sure you get it.

With that Carlos said "As soon as he gets here we'll all talk again and I'll let you know exactly what I'm thinking."

And with that he walked out of the Commander's office.

**Universidad de los Andes –Merida Venezuela**** – Meeting Estefania**

Estefania was walking to her class and although she felt like she was alone and had some breathing room she knew she wasn't really alone. Her Papi still always made sure that she had at least one bodyguard with her at all times, even her being an adult he hadn't eased up on that. At least he agreed to allow Tomas and Franco to come to University with her instead of having someone she didn't know follow her around. They usually alternated days because Diego and his over protective self was always right there as well. When you added him to the mix with other two she wasn't allowed to do anything on her own. She always got so frustrated, she understood but at times it still drove her crazy.

As she was heading out to class Tomas and Franco met her at her front door and told her that both of them would be with her today, she let out a frustrated sigh and wondered why the both of them. She didn't say anything but did say that the only way she would agree is if they stayed completely out of site, unless it was absolutely necessary for them to show themselves. They had agreed to that and said they would do their best. They knew she felt crowded at times and they tried to give her as much freedom that they could, but still watched her with hawk eyes because neither wanted to face what would happen if they didn't.

Lost in her thoughts she didn't see the people in front of her and ran right into the back of them. She stopped suddenly as they turned around to see who hit them, she was about to apologize when she noticed movement in the corner of her eye. She moved her head slowly towards them and then brought her hand to her side and quickly made a stay motion that most people wouldn't catch. After she did that the two guys that she had bumped into noticed and quickly glanced at each other. Both knowing they weren't meant to see the motion but then that also she wasn't alone liked she appeared to be and they had hoped.

Estefania noticed the guys were really tall compared to her and were very handsome guys and looked very strong as well. She had to look up in order to look at their faces and said "_Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I hope I didn't hurt you_."

The guys looked at her and the shorter one said "_Nope beautiful, we're good. More importantly you didn't hurt did you? But a piece of advice you might want to pay closer attention next time, you wouldn't want to bump into some one that isn't as nice as we are._"

She was about to reply when all of a sudden she heard a booming voice yelling "_Estefania!_" She turned around and saw Diego storming over to her. She sighed and told the two guys "_I have to go, again I'm so sorry._"

They two guys tried nod their heads in understanding but she had already turned and was heading off to the angry guy that had been approaching her.

When she had gotten to him, she put her hand up and quietly said "_Not here_." And he grabbed her arm and quickly walked away from everyone one around them.

Estefania allowed Diego to drag her away because she didn't want a scene in front of everyone who had her bellow at her. As soon as they got in front of her classroom she stopped him and said "_What the hell is your problem?" _

Diego replied "_Who were those two guys? Were they bothering you and why were you talking to them?_"

She said "_I don't know who they are and I was perfectly safe because Tomas and Franco were close by. I was walking and thinking about some things and wasn't paying attention to where I was going and bumped into them. I was just making sure they were OK. Then you beckoned me and I walked away. That's it, nothing else was going on. Do we really have to have this conversation every time some guy comes near me? You know I love you and I'm happy with you for the most part, but it would be nice to have other friends here besides you and Isabella_."

He sighed and said "_I know and I'm sorry. I love you too and what do you mean for the most part?_"

She said "_You know I don't like it when you get all possessive and react before you knowing what the situation is._"

Then she pulled him down to her and gave him a kiss on his lips to remind him that she was his and then she said "_I have to go to class. I know you do too and that you have another later this afternoon. How about after I'm done with this class and since it's my last one for the day I pick up some pizza from that place we like so much and have a quiet dinner at home_." She kissed him again and he then deepened the kissed and after they came up for air he said "_That sounds perfect. I love you and until later mi Corazon (my heart)_" And then he walked towards his class and she went into hers.

After her class was over she headed to Pizzeria Da Enzo to pick up the pizza, it was the closest to their house and they had really good pizza, so they went there a lot. She walked in and noticed it was quite busy, they woman behind the counter waved at her so she walked up to the her and started to talk to her for a little bit and placed her ordered for a large Pizza Carbonara for her and a large Pizza Napolitana for Diego.

The woman told her it would be about 30 minutes. She nodded her head and then went to sit down at an empty table. She thought that the timing would work out since he'd be in class for another hour. It would give her time to take a quick shower. She could throw the pizzas in the oven to keep them warm.

She was thankful that it was Friday and there was no school over the weekend. She was trying to decide if she wanted to go home or not. It had been about a month since she'd been back. She knew Tomas and Franco would take her and it was only a 7 hour drive. But because she promised time with Diego tonight it would be they wouldn't be able to leave until tomorrow morning.

A chair scraping on the floor brought her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see the two guys from earlier sitting down at her table. She smiled at them and said "_Hello._"

The taller one said "_Are we interrupting you seem to be lost in your thoughts again?_"

She laughed and said "_No I'm just waiting for my pizzas and trying to decide what I wanted to do this weekend._"

The shorter one chimed in with "_Beautiful, what do you mean Pizzas. You don't look like you could eat multiple pizzas_?"

She blushed that he had used that nickname twice now and then smiled and said "_One is for me and the other one is for my boyfriend." She held out her hand and said "By the way I'm Estefania._"

The taller one took her hand shook it and said "_I'm Carlos and this is my cousin Lester_." Looking around to see if the guy from earlier was around and didn't see him so he smirked and said "_Is he going to come out of the some back room and start yelling again? We wouldn't want you to get in trouble for talking to us_."

She sighed and shook her head and replied "_No he's not here, he's in class. I only had one class today, so I told him that I would pick up dinner on the way home._ "

They both looked at her and said "_You live together_?"

She blushed again and quickly said "_Oh God no, not like you're thinking. I mean we are together but if we were living together that way my Papi would kill him, no matter how much he likes him. Then he'd drag me back home and ground me for the rest of my life._"

Then she continued "_My Papi bought a house so I could go to the University here and not have to worry about housing. The house he bought is big enough for Diego, that's my boyfriend and his sister Isabella to live there with me. My Papi wanted Diego close to protect the two of us_."

She got quiet and started thinking to herself why was she telling these two guys all of this? She didn't normally tell anyone anything about her life, but then she felt that for some strange reason she could trust them, kind of like they wouldn't do anything to hurt her.

She heard the door open and had a feeling she knew who it was so she turned her head and saw it was Tomas and Franco looking at her and then heading her way. They were in full bodyguard mode so they had on their "don't mess with me" faces. She knew they were watching from the window and were probably trying to figure out what Carlos and Lester were up to and if they were some type of threat to her. Not wanting another confrontation she just shook her head no. Tomas and Franco had been with her for so many years that they trusted her instincts and knew that if she was in real danger that she would have allowed them to approach her, seeing that she was OK they turned and walked out the door.

Carlos asked "_Who were the big scary looking guys_?"

Not knowing what to say she decided to be partly truthful without saying exactly who they were, so she just said "_Those are two of my friends that help watch out for me when I'm not near Diego. My Papi is very over protective and always takes careful measures to make sure that nothing happens to me_."

Right after she said that woman at the counter yelled "_Hey Jimenez_" she looked over at her and the woman held up her pizzas. She turned back to Carlos and Lester and said "_Well looks like my order is ready. It was nice to meet you both and maybe I'll see you around, since I seem to keep running into the two of you_."

And with that she got up and grabbed the two boxes of pizza and walked out of the restaurant.


	12. Reporting Back & Meeting Estefania Again

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

Authors Note:

Sorry I missed last week. Everything is good,my daughter graduated from high school and we went on vacation for her graduation present and I had every intention of writing and posting but once we got to our destination I decided to enjoy my time and just relaxed that whole week and did nothing.

I started to write this and realized that in certain parts I had written the word Commander quite a few times so I've decided to shorten it to Cmdr from here on out.

Here we go... we are to the exciting part of the story.

Spanish conversations are italicized.

**Universidad de los Andes –Merida Venezuela**** – Reporting Back to DC**

Carlos and Lester rented a house near the college and had been there for almost a month watching Estefania from a distance and figuring out her schedule. They had determined that there were two other men that protected her, aside from the boyfriend.

They had also noticed that any time he saw some guy would try and talk to her or even look at her he would scare them away; so they would have to be careful about that. They were also able to determine by the way he moved around her and how he was always watching what happened around them he did indeed have some type of training. They didn't know what the extent of his training but knew so far it wasn't enough to pick them up on his radar. Even her bodyguards didn't notice them.

Carlos and Lester made sure to stay behind everyone so they wouldn't get noticed but were close enough to still keep her in sight. They didn't always both go out to follow her. Sometimes it was just one of them.

After they had finally decided they knew her schedule well enough they were able to determine the best time to make contact with her. They would do it on a Friday because the boyfriend had more classes than she did and he wouldn't be around, making it the perfect opportunity for them to talk to her alone. They had worked on the plan until they thought they had it down.

Finally the day came to put everything into action. They made it seem like she had "accidentally" bumped into them and it had worked just like they had planned. However they were taken by surprise when the boyfriend showed up. He was supposed to be on his way to his own class that wasn't anywhere near hers.

Carlos and Lester both looked at each other because he had never shown up before and they didn't understand why he was there now. He quickly rushed her away from them. They could already tell that she was fighting with him.

They decided not to let that deter them and quickly came up with a new plan. They figured they would wait until outside of her class and wait until it was over. They'd follow her to see if they could find another opportunity to speak to her again.

Her class ended and they were able to follow her to a pizza place that she frequented. She made a motion to her bodyguards and they stayed outside and waited for her, while she walked in alone. They agreed that this would be the perfect chance to talk to her. They went in and saw sitting her alone at one of the tables.

They walked over to her and sat down beside her and started a conversation. They made sure that the boyfriend wasn't around and she assured them that he wasn't around. By the time she left with her pizza they had gotten a little more information but not as much as they had hoped, although now they knew her full name and it wouldn't be long until they found out everything.

They decided to hang around a little longer trying not to make anything too obvious. They ordered a couple of pizzas to go in case she came back in for some reason and decided they should also start asking around to see if anyone would give them any information about her.

Everyone they talked to wouldn't give them any information about her, but they said the best thing they could do was to stop asking questions about her. So after they got their pizza they left and went back to the house to eat and then report back to the Cmdr what they had learned.

While they were eating Lester could tell that something was bothering Carlos so he finally looked at him and said "What!"

Carlos looked up at Lester with a frustrated look and said "What the hell were you thinking?"

Lester said "Could you be a little more specific, I've had thoughts about a lot of things. Not sure what one you're talking about Cuz?"

Carlos almost growled his reply "You called her beautiful and then flirted with her." Then he added "We're supposed to be maintaining a low profile to gather Intel not date her."

Lester shook his head laughing and said "Dude chill and did you see her? She was fucking beautiful and since we were already talking to her I couldn't resist. Besides, she didn't seem to mind it and isn't that why we went in there in the first place to try and make her feel comfortable with us so we could get information from her."

Carlos grumpily said "Yeah, I guess, but it might be beneficial to try and resist in the future. The last thing we need is for her overbearing boyfriend hearing you say that and blow up at you, because at that point our covers would be blown because we'd have to kick his ass. Yes I saw her, she is absolutely beautiful, but we can't lose focus on what we were sent here to do. Got it?"

Lester just nodded his head but then wiggled his eyebrows and said "Yeah, but it doesn't mean that we can't have a little fun while we're doing it, right? So now that's been covered do you want to stay in for the rest of the night or go and see if we can get into some trouble?"

Halfway through Lester talking Carlos tuned him out because he started thinking about her. It bothered him that Lester gave her that nickname even if it was true, he didn't know why either. There was just something about her and he didn't lie when he said was absolutely beautiful. Not only was she beautiful but she seemed like a genuinely nice person as well. She wasn't conceded and didn't look down on them. He really hated that type. He really would like to get to know her better even if he knows that he shouldn't.

It really burned Carlos that her "boyfriend" man handles her like that, she didn't deserve that and he didn't like it. He would love to show him a thing or two about the proper way to treat a lady and if given the chance he might just do that.

Then he started thinking about why it bothered him so much and he couldn't find an answer except that there was just something about her. Once again he just couldn't explain it, but he wanted to know everything that he possibly could. He pictured her face and the first thing that popped out at him was her eyes, they were mesmerizing. The first time he really noticed them he couldn't stop staring into them. The pictures of her that the Cmdr showed him didn't do her justice.

Suddenly he was brought out of his thoughts by his cousin snapping his fingers in front of his face. Carlos growled "What!"

Lester just laughed and said "I've been trying to talk to you for about 5 minutes, but you looked like you were just staring off in space with a weird look on your face and you didn't answer me." Then he added "Man, are you OK? I've never seen you look like that before."

Carlos slyly replied "I was just thinking." Before he could say anything else Lester interrupted him.

He said "Oh my God you were thinking about her. You big old hypocrite, you yelled at me for flirting with her and here you are fantasizing about her."

Carlos growled at him and put his blank face on and tried to cover it up by saying "No I wasn't. I was thinking about the job that we're here to do and what our next steps should be now that we've made contact."

Lester laughed at him again and yelled back at him "Yeah, yeah whatever gets you through the night." And started to walk away towards his room, Lester decided to get one more dig in and hollered "Lover boy."

Carlos yelled back at him "Shut the fuck up or I won't care what Tia (Aunt) says when I'll kill you. She'll never find you way over here."

Lester just laughed louder and harder from his room.

Carlos stormed into his room and grabbed the satellite phone and pressed the buttons to call his Cmdr number. He knew that he had to get his emotions together before talking to him so while it was ringing he took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Carlos thought fuck Lester and his teasing ass.

Then the Cmdr answered his phone by saying "What do you have for me?"

Carlos replied "Sir, I can 99% guarantee it's her. She has 2 bodyguards with her most of the time and a guy that's her boyfriend and a bodyguard all rolled into one. She said that he lives with her to help keep her safe because her Papi is way over protective, which is why she also has the bodyguards. We made contact with her and she also introduced herself to Lester and me as Estefania. Then when we saw her at a pizza place, the woman behind the counter yelled Hey Jimenez at her and she replied and went and picked her order up and then left."

Cmdr Franklin replied "Very good work so far. How long before you think you will be able to talk to her about her situation."

Carlos said "Depends if we can get her alone then I think it will probably take us a few weeks before we can completely get her trust and open up to us. Since we've made the initial contact it will be easier going forward but we still have to worry about the boyfriend."

Cmdr Franklin said "Agreed. I'm going to help you and make things easier for you. I've spoken to someone who knows someone at the school and they are going to allow you to register for the University on Monday, you'll be able to walk freely around campus and not look out of place or be questioned."

Carlos thought about it and if they could kind of match their schedules to hers that would help getting to know her and maybe they could get one or two with the boyfriend and maybe get to know him and win his trust.

Carlos replied "Sounds good sir. I think that will work."

The Cmdr told him "I've decided not to say anything to anyone about who she is yet. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up if there's a chance like you said that she doesn't want to come back."

Carlos said "I think that's a good idea sir. I'll call you in a week and let you know where we stand." And they hung up.

He walking into Lester's room and said "Well man, you're getting ready to have some fun."

Lester looked up from his laptop said "What do you mean?"

Carlos went over everything that he and the Cmdr had discussed and after he was done Lester agreed that it sounded like a good idea.

Then Lester spoke up and said "Hey since the school has a Futbol club do you think they will let us join? We were both pretty good when we were younger and this would also be a great way to get our exercise in." Waggling his eyes he said "Maybe it will help us pick up some chicks too."

Carlos thought about it and although he didn't agree with the whole picking up chicks part it, he liked the idea. He could definitely use the exercise.

They decided to stay inside for the rest of the weekend and rework their plan. They had to readjust some more things now that they were going to have to incorporate the twist that the Cmdr had given them.

**Universidad de los Andes –Merida Venezuela**** – Meeting Estefania Again**

On Monday morning they went to the registration office and filled out all the necessary paperwork to register for school and paid for their classes.

They asked the administrator about the Futbol Club and she told them that as far as she knew they were still looking for a few more players but they had already had a few practices. She was pretty sure that if they wanted to talk to the coach that he should be available this morning.

They decided that since they weren't going to start their classes until the following week that it would be a good idea to head over to practice field and see if they could talk to the coach about joining, maybe he would let them tryout.

As they were walking over to the field Carlos and Lester started to compare their schedules. They were each taking 4 classes to start off with. Lester had 2 with the boyfriend but none with Estefania. Carlos had 2 with Estefania and 1 will the boyfriend, which luckily Lester was in that one as well.

They were both talking and not paying attention to what was going on around them when all of a sudden Carlos got hit with something in the back of the head. He turned around and looked down and saw a piece of paper on the ground. He looked around and didn't see anyone.

He heard the giggling coming from behind a tree, and he was pretty sure that he already knew who it was. He picked up the ball of paper and walked around the tree to where she was and gave her half a smile. He reached his hand out to give it back to her and said "I think you dropped something."

She looked up at him and laughed while said "Nope I threw it at you."

He pretended to look hurt and said "Now why would you do that?"

Her smile reached all the way up to her eyes and she replied "Because I was calling your names and you didn't respond to me."

He laughed and said "Maybe next time you should hit Lester instead that would be way funnier." She gave him a full belly laugh at that and he thought that was the best sound in the world.

Then he looked her in the eyes and said "Hey, Estefania." She shyly replied "Hey, Carlos."

By that time Lester finally caught up to them he looked at her and said "Hey Beautiful. Good shot."

She smiled and said "Hey Lester. Thanks."

Then Lester finally noticed the girl that standing next to her and held out his hand and said "Hey, I'm Lester and this is my cousin Carlos." Then he smiled at her and continued with "You're a pretty little thing aren't you, where'd you come from?"

She gave him her hand and when he brought it up to his lips and kissed it she blushed and said "Hi, I'm Isabella. I'm Essie's roommate and her boyfriend's sister."

Then Carlos put his hand out and shook her hand, he didn't raise it to his lips but he did give her once of his 200 watt smiles.

She blushed even harder at that and Lester spoke up and said "Hey Cuz. Hands off, I saw her first. So is there a boyfriend I have to watch out for Izzy? Is it OK that I call you that?"

She smiled and said "No I don't have a boyfriend, but you might want to watch out for my brother. He's a little over protective and yes I like that name."

Estefania rolled her eyes and sighed when she said that Diego was a little over protective and Carlos noticed it.

He leaned in and whispered "Is he as bad with her as he is with you?" With a sad look in her eyes she shook her head no.

Lester seeing that Carlos and Estefania were quietly talking he decided to pull Isabella closer to him and walked a little bit away from them giving Carlos a chance to talk to Beautiful alone.

Carlos and Estefania stood there for a couple of seconds in complete silence like neither one knew what to say to the other.

Finally Carlos said "Speaking of Diego, where is he and aren't you worried that your bodyguards will tell him you are talking to us?"

Estefania sighed and said "Diego went off with a couple of his friends since I told him this was going to be a girls day for Izzy and my bodyguards watch over me but they don't tell me who I can talk to and they don't tell him who I talk to. They learned a long time ago that it's just easier to let me do things my way."

She looked over by the tree to where they were and Carlos followed her eye movements. He nodded his head towards them.

They noticed him nodding his head at them and decided that since this was now the third time that Estefania was talking them, they decided to walked over to where they were standing.

Carlos saw them approaching and knew he was about to get questioned but he understand that making sure she was safe was their job and that if someone he was guarding was talking to guys that looked like they did whether the person they were guarding was fine he'd want to talk to them as well.

Lester noticed they were walking over as well so he moved in closer to them, so he would have Carlos' back should anything happen.

Tomas was the first to speak. He put his arm around her shoulders protectively and said "Estefania, Who are these guys and what have we told you about just talking to random people?"

She looked at him shook her head and then laughed as she pushed his arm off of her and said in a sarcastic voice said "Gee let me think the same thing that you've been telling me since I was 4. Be careful and don't trust anyone."

He looked down at her and said "OK smartass, tone it down or I'll have to tell your Papi about the new guys."

She punched him in the arm and said "Don't you dare, besides I know them. This is Carlos and Lester and you've seen them with me before which is probably why you are over here now, checking up on me. I'm sure you remember last week when I bumped into them and then saw them at Pizzeria Da Enzo." And then she added "So don't go all protective on me like that, please. You know I deal with that enough."

Tomas just nodded and then held his hand out for Carlos to shake and said "I'm Tomas and this is my partner Franco."

After shaking his hand and then reaching out to shake Franco's Carlos replied "As Estefania said I'm Carlos and that's my cousin Lester."

Lester shook both of their hands as well.

Estefania getting impatient finally said "So what were you two so engrossed in that you didn't hear me calling you, if you don't mind me asking. Oh my goodness, don't listen to me, it's none of my business. Well you could tell me if you wanted to but you don't have to tell me if you don't..."

She couldn't get the rest out because Carlos not being able to control himself just grabbed her and hugged her to stop her from rambling said "It's OK."

After realizing what he just did he quickly let her go and took a couple of steps back and said "We registered for classes this morning and since we don't start until next week we decided to head over to the Futbol field hoping we could talk to the coach about joining the team. We were comparing our schedules when you pelted me in the head with your paper ball."

Tomas and Franco had missed her doing that so they both yelled "Estefania!"

She looked at them smiled and then gave them the biggest doe eyes that Carlos had ever seen. They just shook their heads and kissed the top of her head and started to walk away.

Tomas turned around and looked at him like he was trying to decide on something and then said "I'll be keeping my eyes on you." And then turned back around and continued to where he was standing before.

Carlos looked at him and then looked at her with a questioning look. She shrugged her shoulders and said "Yeah well at least he didn't threaten to kill you. So you play Futbol huh?"

He replied "Yep and we're pretty good too. We've been playing together since we were kids and we're hoping that even though they've already started practices that the coach will let us tryout."

Then he decided to be the good guy and even though she approached them this time, he didn't want to say too much too soon. So he grabbed Lester and said "I'm really glad that we got to bump into you again, but since you've said that you're having a "girls" day, I'm sure there's something that you want to be doing other than hanging here and talking to us so maybe we should let you get to it."

She just stood there with a blank look on her face didn't say anything.

After a couple of minutes he nudged Lester and they turned around and started walk away heading back towards the field, hoping they could still catch the coach.


	13. Where Do We Go From Here?

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

**I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to get the next chapter out. Everything is fine at home, I just had a bit of writer's block that I had to work through.**

I had actually surprised my beta with this chapter this morning.

**Authors Note: **

I'm thinking that about continuing to do one chapter from Estefania's point of view and then the next chapter from Carlos's point of view.

So the question I have for everyone is do you like me doing them in 3rd person or would you like to see it done in 1st person. Please let me know which you prefer.

Spanish conversations are italicized.

**Universidad de los Andes –Merida Venezuela**** – Where Do We Go From Here?**

Estefania was feeling restless and she couldn't figure out why, she didn't end up going home for the weekend like she wanted to and to her it felt like Diego in her face the entire time. She had just wanted to escape for a couple of days, but he wouldn't let her have any peace.

So by Sunday afternoon she decided that she needed a break and wanted to skip her classes on Monday. She asked Isabella if she wanted to skip and just have a girls' day. She quickly said yes and they both told Diego what they were doing.

He tried to argue with Estefania about not being able to go and she told him that he would be able to handle it for one day. Of course he didn't like that and they started to argue more and finally Estefania just walked away from him and didn't talk to him the remainder of the night, having had enough of his crap.

When Monday morning came around Estefania completely ignored Diego and grabbed Isabelle and left the house. They had decided to start just walking around the campus. They were planning on going to get pedicures and manicures and then do some shopping along with getting lunch.

While they were walking around Estefania noticed the guys from the pizza place and started to get excited about seeing them again. She wondered what they were doing.

Isabella noticed her friend staring at something and looked to see what it was. She saw the guys and excitedly said "_Who are they_?" Estefania smiled still looking at them and said "_I met them on Friday at Pizzeria Da Enzo, when I was getting pizza for your brother and me. Well honestly I actually bumped into them earlier in the morning on the way to my class. I was deep in thought and didn't pay attention to where I was going. I ran right into the taller one. His name's Carlos and the other one is Lester. They're cousins_."

Isabella said laughing "_Wow, They are both really good looking. I wonder if they have girlfriends and if not maybe I'll see if they want one._"

Estefania laughed at her and said "_I don't know but I'm sure we can figure something out. Let's see if I can get their attention._"

She tried to call their names and when they didn't respond she dug into her purse and pulled out a pad of paper. She ripped off a piece and then balled it up. She threw it at Carlos and when she saw it hit him in the head she ran behind the tree trying to hide from him. She was trying not to giggle but it slipped out anyway.

She realized that he had heard her because the next thing she knew he was standing in front of her. He didn't look like he was mad. He just had a slight smile on his face. She thought about the time she had done something similar to Diego and he had gotten so mad that he yelled at her for what seemed like hours.

She stopped herself from thinking about that anymore and knew that she really shouldn't be comparing the two of them, especially since she didn't really know Carlos.

They went back and forth for a couple of seconds about her hitting him and when he finally looked her in the eyes he smiled and said hey in what she thought was the sexiest voice that she had ever heard. She could barely think straight and was so distracted that the only thought that came to mind was to say hey right back to him. After she said that she felt like a dork for not being able to say anything else and couldn't figure out what the heck had come over her.

She saw Lester come over and relaxed a bit, she was able to say Hi to him and that's when he noticed Isabella. Estefania laughed internally thinking this is exactly was Isabella wanted. They laughed for a couple minutes about her hitting Carlos and then Lester wasted no time introducing himself and flirting with Isabella.

Isabella had really grown up to be beautiful and very exotic looking woman, all the guys were always after her so it wasn't a surprise when Lester was acting that way. What surprised Estefania was how Carlos didn't seem to be as affected by Isabella, instead keeping his eyes on her. She saw that Lester discretely move Isabella and him away from her and Carlos and Estefania was curious as to who's benefit that was for his or theirs.

She noticed the face that Carlos made when Isabella had mentioned Diego. Estefania wondered what that was all about, but before she could say anything about it Carlos asked about him. A small sigh slipped out of her and then she went on to explain where she thought he was, thinking back when told her he would just go do his own thing.

She quickly realized that she really didn't want to think about Diego or what he was doing right now. She was enjoying being there with the guys deciding that she would have to think about what that meant later.

After Carlos asked about Diego, he then asked about her bodyguards, they had decided at that point to come over and formally introduce themselves. She knew she wouldn't have been able to keep them away this time. They were way over protective and since this was the third time that she had seen them she knew that there was no way they wouldn't talk to them.

When Tomas and Franco approached Estefania and Carlos, Lester quickly brought Isabella back to stand close to us again, so that they could be a part of the conversation as well.

Once they got to Estefania, Tomas tried to give her a hard time and embarrassed her. She gave it back to them and then trying to ignore them started asking Carlos what they were doing. As she kept talking she thought to herself, what the hell. She was rambling and she couldn't stop herself. Carlos finally took pity on her and answered her questions. She just kept thinking that this day couldn't get any worse somehow she kept embarrassing herself and she didn't know why.

After a few minutes of talking Tomas and Franco had decided that they guys were OK at the moment and they walked back to where they were standing. Estefania was glad that they had walked away hoping for a few more minutes of talking to them alone but then Carlos said that they would let them get back to their girls day and they had to go to meet up with the coach.

After he said that all Estefania could think was what had just happened and that she wasn't ready to leave them yet. Again thinking what was going on with her.

The guys started to walk away and before she knew it she quickly looked over at Isabella and grabbed her arm and gave her a questioning look to see if she was on the same page about not letting them go. Isabella nodded her head and then gave Estefania a look that said they will be talking about what's going on later, but for now she was with her.

Estefania quickly yelled "_Hey guys wait. We'll walk with you_."

Carlos turned around and saw that the girls we approaching them and softly hit Lester with his elbow. He laughed and said "_Are you trying out for Soccer too?_"

Estefania glared at him and said "_No we just want to see if you are as good as you say you really are._"

Isabella nodded her head and added "_A few of their best players graduated last year, so we want to see if you're at their level and can help replace them_."

Carlos and Lester laughed and then started walking towards the soccer field with Estefania and Isabella in tow.

Lester threw his arm around Isabella and quizzed her by saying "_What do you know about the team or the game?_"

Isabella spoke up and profoundly said "_We went to every home game last year, we tried to go to the away games but we had to be careful when we did so we were only allowed to couple of those. Papi wouldn't allow us to spend the night somewhere that wasn't thoroughly checked out before hand_."

Lester looked at Estefania and then looked back at Isabella and said "_Oh, Is your Papi overprotective as well?_"

Isabella laughed at that statement and said "_I was referring to Estefania's Papi, since we've been friends since we were 4. He does look after all of us but mostly it's Estefania well-being that he's concerned about._"

Lester just nodded his head like he understood and glanced at Carlos for a quick second.

They made it to the field and they guys went to find the coach and the girls went to bleachers. Once they sat down, Isabella looked at Estefania like she was ready to get some answers before the guys come out.

Estefania sighed and said "_Look, I don't know what's going on. I get these weird feelings when I'm near Carlos. I know I shouldn't and that I've only known them for less than a week but I feel like I can trust him. Like he'd always protect me and keep me safe. Yes I know, Diego is the same way but sometimes I feel like more of a prize to be won by him than his girlfriend._"

She continued by saying "_He just makes everything so hard, like last night when he got pissed off at me for wanting to just have a day doing whatever I wanted to do. I mean when we were 10 it was cute, but now that we are older he's just become overbearing and it's driving me nuts. Honestly I know his intentions are to become my bodyguard when Tomas finally gets to the point where he needs to retire, but I don't think I could handle that._"

Just as she finished saying that her phone rang, thinking it was Diego she sighed, but then she listened to the ringtone and realized it was her Papi.

She answered it on speakerphone and said "_Hello Papi_!"

His reply was "_Hello Princess, how are you today?_"

She said "_I'm good, what's up? You never call me during this time._"

He sharply said "_That's because you are usually in class._"

She heard the tone that he wasn't too happy with her, so she quickly said "_I'm so sorry Papi, but I just needed a day away from class, and I was bad and dragged Izzy with me._"

Softening his tone he said "_OK I understand but I don't expect you to make a habit of it. Now I have to ask what happened that prompted you to do this." She replied "Honestly I needed to get away from Diego, since I wasn't able to come home this past weekend. He wouldn't leave me alone and was constantly in my face. He felt that he needed to go and do everything I did._"

He made a noise that she wasn't able to understand but before she could question it he said "_Tell me about these young men that you and Isabella have been hanging around today?_"

At that point she knew that Tomas had told on her and as she looked over at him since him and Franco were sitting down on the other end of the bleachers, when she made eye contact with him he quickly looked away.

Estefania said "_Papi, they are nice boys and I would like for them to be my friends. They are cousins and they have been really nice to me. As we speak Izzy and I are sitting on the bleachers getting ready to watch them as they try out soccer team._"

Osvaldo sighed "_You may think they are nice but remember that you always need to be aware of your surroundings and everyone near you at all times._"

Estefania replied "_Yes Papi, but trust me. I haven't gotten any type of bad feeling from them, and it's weird like I was just telling Izzy I feel comfortable and safe with them around me._"

He laughed knowing that she had always had some type of sixth sense about things and knowing that if she felt like that then she would continue to allow these boys to hang around her no matter what. He determined if that was indeed the case then he knew he wanted to meet them personally.

So he sternly said "_Estefania I understand how you feel, but at this point if you want to continue to see them than I will need to come up there and meet them. Otherwise I will make sure Tomas and Franco keep them away from you_."

She sighed and said "_Yes, sir. I will speak to them after their practice and then let you know."_ He replied "_Very good, and you'll have to let me know if they are any good and if they can replace the guys that graduated. I love you and call me tonight and let me know when would be a good time for me to come up there._"

She laughed at that and said "_OK Papi, I'll let you know. I love you too._"

After they hung up Estefania looked over at Isabella and shrugged her shoulders and said "_Looks like I have to talk to the guys. How do I explain this to Diego? He's not going to like this. Shit!_"

Just about that time the Carlos and Lester came outside with the coach and started their drills and they forgot about the conversation.

The girls watched them and realized that they were really good. The coach was really impressed and quickly asked them to join the team.

When Carlos and Lester were shaking the coach's hand and thanking him the girls cheered and the coach made a joke about them bringing their own cheerleaders. The guys just laughed and nodded their heads.

Carlos ran over to where they were sitting and said "_Hey we're going to take a shower real quick, will you wait for us?_"

Estefania said "_Sure and then we'll go somewhere to get something to eat, because I have to talk to you two about something._"

Carlos just looked at her funny for a second and then said "_OK we'll be back in 10 minutes._"

While they were gone, Estefania asked Isabella "_What am I going to do. You know if they agree to meeting Papi Diego is going to want to go. How do I get myself into these messes?"_

Isabella said "_Maybe we can introduce them to Diego and he'd be cool with them._"

Estefania rapidly shook her head and said "_What I forgot to mention was the day I accidently ran into them, Diego found me as I was apologizing to them and he started yelling at me. He wanted to know who they were and why was I hanging out with them. He wouldn't listen to me explain what had happened and now he's going to flip knowing that I'll have to tell him the whole story about meeting them later that day and that you and I hung out with them today._"

Isabella gave her best friend a hug and said "_We'll figure it out._"

Exactly 10 minutes later Carlos and Lester came out looking freshly showered and walked up to the girls on the bleachers.

Carlos said "_So you wanted to talk to us and you mentioned something about lunch. Where do you want to go?_"

Estefania said "_How about L'Abadia?_"

Carlos and Lester have heard about this place and knew it was a little pricey so trying to keep up the appearance of not having a little money both started to look a little uneasy.

Estefania looked at them and said "_Guys don't worry about the cost. I've got it covered, especially since it was my idea to go to lunch._"

They looked like they were going to argue but then Isabella stepped in and said "_Look I can tell you from experience that whatever Estefania wants Estefania gets. She doesn't get told no and she doesn't accept hearing the word no, so you might as well get used to it if you are going to be her friend._"

So everyone agreed that's where they were going to go for lunch. It was just a short walk to L'Abadia and as soon as they walked in they noticed that it was crowded and people were waiting to be seated.

Carlos was about to say something about leaving when the hostess saw Estefania and immediately walked over to her and hugged her saying "_Ms. Jimenez it's so great to see you again and by the looks of it you have a 4 of party?_"

Estefania said "_Yes there are 4 of us, can you put our name down for a table?_"

The hostess said "_Nonsense you will not be waiting, we have your table waiting for you. Please follow me._"

Carlos and Lester looked around to see if anyone was going to get mad but all they saw were people moving out of her way and giving her looks of awe. They looked at each other and shook their heads.

Isabella noticed how the two guys were acting and quietly whispered "_Just a heads up if you plan to continue to be around her you'll need to get used to this type of treatment. Her Papi is a very powerful man in Venezuela and she's treated like royalty everywhere she goes._"

Carlos and Lester just nodded their heads and followed Estefania to their table. Carlos sat in between Estefania and Lester and Isabella sat in between Lester and Estefania.

The waitress came over taking their drink orders, she was primarily focused on Carlos and Lester even while she was taking Isabella's order but the minute she heard Estefania clear her throat and start to speak she quickly changed her focus and apologized to her and said she would get everything for them right away.

She quickly brought their drink order and Estefania pulled a page out of her Papi's book and ordered everything that was on the menu. Once that was done and the waitress walked away with their order. Carlos and Lester looked at her like she was insane, so she said "_I know you think I'm crazy, but you both looked like you hadn't been here before so I wanted to give you a chance to sample everything they have. That was one of my first memories I have of my Papi and me together. It was a few months after I went to live with him and he took me to my first restaurant near our home and he wanted me to sample everything and even though it was more food than I could handle I loved that. We even did the same thing for Izzy and her family when we first met._"

They just laughed at her and agreed and in that moment while they were waiting for the food Estefania decided it was time to talk to the guys.

She said "_First thing I want to say is you guys were really great on the field today and I was really impressed with how you play. I think you will be a great asset to the team. Now the second thing I wanted to discuss with you is my Papi._"

Carlos and Lester looked at her with their eyes wide open, not knowing what was getting ready to be said.

But she continued and said "_While we were waiting for you to come out on to the field, my Papi called and pretty much demanded that he meet you two. He said that if I wanted to continue to be friends with you that he would need to come up here and give me his approval. He told me to get with you two and figure out when would be the best time for him to come up would be. I told him that I needed to speak with you but he made sure to tell me that I had to call him tonight and let him know._"

Before either one could reply she added "_and just to let you know he was very serious about it and has already said that if you don't agree to meeting him that he will get Tomas and Franco involved and will stop me from seeing or talking to either of you._"

Carlos and Lester again were sitting there with their eyes wide staring at her and as they were thinking about answering their food started arriving.

Estefania said "_Why don't we table this conversation until after we eat, this would also give you some time to think about it as well._"

They all agreed and started to eat.


	14. Finally Meeting Diego

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

**Authors Note: **

It was pretty much tied regarding the POV so I'm just going to continue the way that I am with the 3rd person.

Thank you all for your reviews, comments, favorites and follows. You have no idea how much I really do appreciate it.

Thank you also for hanging in there. I know that for the past couple of months RL has been crazy and I'm hoping that thing have calmed down. I'm already halfway through the next chapter so as soon as it's done I'll post that.

Although I don't know the real schedule for their soccer games, the University does have soccer team or as they call it a Futbol Club and if I read about it correctly I believe they play indoors and is played differently than a regular soccer game, but for this story line I'm going to pretend like it is.

**Spanish conversations are italicized.**

**Universidad de los Andes –Merida Venezuela**** – Finally Meeting Diego**

Carlos and Lester shook the coach's hand and thanked him for allowing them to try out when there were only a few weeks from their first game. They all heard the girls cheering for them and the coach then laughed and joked about them bringing their own cheerleaders. The guys laughed and mentioned that they were good friends.

Carlos looked at Lester and leaned his towards the girls. Lester understood that Carlos meant for him to go on and that he was going to talk to the girls real quick. So Lester headed to the locker room while Carlos ran over to the girls.

He wanted to ask them to wait until they were done changing so that they could talk some more, he was glad when they had agreed but when Estefania mentioned that she had something that she wanted to discuss with them, Carlos started to wonder what it could possibly be about.

He headed back into the locker room and told Lester and wonder for a quick moment if they could have possibly been found out and started to worry what would happen, Carlos was the voice of reason and told Lester that instead of driving themselves crazy they would just hurry up and get showered and dressed that way they could find out.

When they came out and walked over to them Estefania had smiled at Carlos and he felt something stir inside of him but wasn't ready to admit what it was.

She told them that she didn't want to talk to them there so she suggested going to L'Abadia, he was surprised because he had heard about how expensive it was and since they were pretending to be students they had to act like they didn't have a lot of money.

When she offered to pay for everything they both let out an internal sigh but figured they would try to make it look good by trying to argue with her. It was then that her friend Isabella stepped in and told them that what Estefania wants she always gets, so arguing would be pointless. Carlos and Lester at that point nodded their heads and just went along with it.

They walked into the busy restaurant and the boys wondered how long the wait would be when they saw everyone practically fall to Estefania's feet trying to please her they were shocked. Carlos and Lester looked at each other neither believing what they saw especially when the hostess came up and practically dragged them to a table seating them before anyone else. It was Isabella that spoke up again in a tone that let them know that this was normal because Estefania's father was powerful man and everywhere she went she was treated like royalty.

Carlos took notice to the tone in Isabella's voice, kind of like she enjoyed reaping the benefits but at the same time a little jealous of her. She didn't seem like that when they met her earlier so he wondered what would bring that out now.

Once they were seated at the table the waitress noticed Carlos and Lester but didn't pay attention to any one that they were sitting with and when she took Isabella's drink order she didn't bother to even look over in her direction, just kept her focus on the boys. That changed the second she heard Estefania voice, it had taken her a second for it to register who it was but when she did she quickly changed her focus and apologized to her for being rude and inconsiderate and begged her forgiveness. Carlos and Lester had to laugh at the waitress who quickly ran away to get their drinks.

Within a few minutes the waitress was back with their drinks and again was falling all over Estefania apologizing again and then asked if they were ready to order. Estefania just waved her hand like it was fine and proceeded to tell the waitress that she would be ordering for everyone. She proceeded to tell the waitress that they wanted to order one of everything that was on the menu. Carlos and Lester were surprised and started to argue, she started telling them about one of her most cherished memories from her childhood that she had. It was the first time she went to what is now her favorite restaurant.

She told them how it was couple of months after she had gone to live with her Papi and he wanted to take her out. They ended up going to the restaurant and he ordered everything on the menu because he wanted her to experience new things and to make sure that she knew everything they had to offer so the next time she went she could make an educated decision on what she liked and wanted to have again.

She then went on to tell them about the day that she met Isabella and Diego and how she had wanted to do the same thing for her friends and their families. She told her Papi her plan and of course he agreed because he never said no to her. So her Papi convinced both families to join them and when the waitress come up to the table Estefania was the one to order and ordered everything just like her Papi.

Carlos started thinking about what she had said and knew that she was about 4 when that happened because that was the age that Isabella had mentioned first meeting her. He quickly glanced at Lester and they both knew that the pieces were just falling into place and it wouldn't be long before they finally had all the answers. The big concern is what would happen once they had them. It was something that they would have to discuss later when they were alone.

They figured the best thing to do would be to play along so they laughed and agreed to let her have her way, as Isabella had pointed out she would find a way to get it anyway and apparently no one told her no or that she couldn't do anything.

After a little bit she mentioned that she had heard from her Papi and that he knew about them and that he wanted to meet them, they weren't sure what to say. When she had added the part where he was serious and if he didn't get to meet them that he would make it to where they wouldn't be able to see or talk to her they knew they would have to give in and meet him.

Then the food came and they agreed to table the conversation until after they had eaten. Once they had eaten all that they could handle, Estefania got up stating she had to go to the restroom and proceeded to drag Isabella with her. Carlos figured that she was probably given him and Lester a chance to talk alone.

After they had walked away Carlos looked at Lester and switched to English said "What do you think? If we want to continue to figure this whole thing out we're going to have to meet him."

Lester following Carlos' footsteps by speaking English said "Do you think we should stall and tell her that we'll let her know later after we think about it that way we can talk to the Cmdr and see what he thinks."

Carlos thought about it and said "I think that if she calls him tonight and tells him that we're thinking about it, he'll start to wonder about us and think we are hiding something and that there's a reason we don't want to meet him. Remember he's not a stupid man. He's the one who came up with the elaborate plan to "kill" her. We're going to have to say yes, we don't have a choice."

Then he continued saying "I think we do need to talk to the Cmdr about it, but we can't do that here with too many ears around. So for now we tell her that we agree to meet him and then later after we get home tonight we'll call him and see how he wants us to proceed."

They had just finished talking when the girls returned to the table and Carlos looked at Estefania and switching back to Spanish said "_It would be honor to meet your Papi, especially since we absolutely want to remain your friends_."

Estefania looked at him and smiled brightly.

He asked "_I had a thought, does your Papi like soccer as well_" She nodded her head and replied "_Yes he does, that's who I learned to love it from. Before I came to the University, we would try and go to as many games as we could. Truthfully when I was talking to him I told him that I was watching you try out for the team and he told me to let him know if you two were any good._"

Carlos got a smile on his face and said "_Perfect, we have our first game in a few weeks. What if he comes to our game and watches us play? Then afterwards we can all go out to dinner and get the chance to know each other._"

Estefania looked over at Isabella cringed a little and then said "_I think that's a great idea. Although thinking about it now I'm pretty sure Diego will want to join us as well and we all know how his reaction was the first time he saw me talking to the two of you._"

Lester at that point chimed in and said "_Yeah he dragged you off like a cave man, but with that being said we know how to be nice when we need to be and if we have to learn to tolerate him and get him to like us, then that's what we'll do._"

Carlos nodded his head in agreement.

Estefania said "_I think it would be easier if we introduced him to you two before you meet my Papi. It would be too much on you if you met them at the same time. It will end up being way too intense and you might get scared away, especially with the way Diego has the tendency to be overprotective of me._"

Carlos reached over and took Estefania's hands in his and looked her in the eyes and said "T_rust me when I say we don't get scared easily, but if it would be easier on you if we met them separately then we'll agree to meeting Diego sooner. It's completely up to you._"

She looked at the honesty in his eyes and smiled. With his hands still in hers, she said "_Just understand that he's not going to like you, but it has nothing to do with you personally, but more about the fact that you two are men. He's never liked me being around other males before and even once threatened his own cousin for being too close to me. I'm not even sure of a way that you two could meet him and him not feeling "threatened" by you._"

Carlos didn't really want to let go of her hands yet but he figured with what he was about to suggest that it would be for the best. So regretfully he let them go, sighed and then said "_Would it make a difference that if we met him at either dinner or a club and if we have dates with us? He wouldn't think that we were after you if we had girls of our own and might be more relaxed._"

Carlos noticed Estefania's face flashed a bit of jealousy but quickly recovered and straightened herself up and said "_I think that might work, I'll talk to him and let him know. I think meeting at a club would be better as well. I'll set it up so we get in the VIP section. So do you think that this weekend would work for you?" Then she asked with a bit of attitude "Will you have enough time for you to get dates?_"

They both laughed and said at the same time "_That won't be a problem._"

She glared at them and said with even more attitude "_Fine, then it's settled. Diego, Izzy and I will meet you and your dates for the evening at El Hoyo Queque on Saturday at 8pm._"

Carlos unsure of why all of sudden she had an attitude decided to give it right back to her and said "_That works for us._"

Since he didn't like the way she was being with them and decided it would be best to leave, so he continued before anyone else could by saying "_I think that it's time for us to go now. So Estefania, thank you for a wonderful lunch and we'll see you on Saturday. Isabella, have a great rest of the day and we'll see you on Saturday as well_." And with that Carlos grabbed Lester out of his chair and pulled him out of the restaurant.

As Carlos was dragging Lester out of the doors, Lester could hear Carlos mumbling. Lester started laughing in his head until he heard Carlos say "Who does she think she is?"

Lester put his feet down hard so Carlos had to stop suddenly. Carlos looked at him and screamed "What the hell is your problem." Lester stared him down and said "My problem, what's yours?"

Carlos took a long deep breath and said "She thinks she's so high and mighty and thinks that whatever she says people will just bend over for her and do it. Did you hear the attitude dripping from her just now? Can we get dates for Saturday, has she seen us. Yes, we can get fucking dates. Then when we tell her that, she decides to treat us like peasants and gets all demanding about where and what time we should meet, and how she'll put it all together and crap. How does she know that we didn't have any plans?"

Lester was still trying to hold in his laughter and simply replied "Because you told her that it worked for us, so why would she think anything else and besides even if it was a stupid question, she still had to make sure right?"

Carlos not wanting to be placated right now said "But you admit it was a stupid question and the attitude she gave was totally uncalled for, right?"

But before Lester could answer Carlos walked away from him and stomped down the street towards their house. When Lester had finally got up with him Carlos had unlocked the front door and was walking in.

Carlos still having an bit of an attitude in his voice said "We should call the Cmdr now and tell him this new development."

Lester knowing that Carlos was pissed said "Dude you are so not in any kind mood to talk to anyone right now, you need to go and find a way to clear you head."

Carlos yelled "Whatever!" but knowing he was right walked away and went into the garage where all of their work out equipment was and started to get some of his frustration out. He couldn't figure out why Estefania's attitude bothered him so much it did and it pissed him off.

He needed to get his emotions in check before he did something that he would regret. Especially since he was starting to think that he didn't want to deal with her any more and that they should just call the whole thing off and head back home, but he knew that the main and biggest reason that he wouldn't pack up and go home was because the Cmdr had asked him to do it as a favor to him and he couldn't just tell him no.

He finished working out and then headed to his room to take a shower. After he was done he headed into the living room where Lester was and said "Are you ready to call the Cmdr now or do you want me to do it alone?"

Lester said "Are you good?" Carlos replied "Yeah, I'm good now thanks. Asshole."

Lester just laughed and said "Then let's make that call."

Carlos picked up his Sat phone and dialed the Cmdr's number. He answered on the second ring and said "What do you have for me."

Carlos answered by saying "Sir, there's been a development and w need to know how you would like us to proceed."

The Cmdr impatiently said "Well tell me."

Carlos responded by telling him everything that had happened and how Estefania's father wanted to meet them and how they were going to the club this weekend to meet her overprotective boyfriend, including them needing to get dates.

The Cmdr said "We have enough time to send a couple of agents over, if you want to use them for dates. Do you want to do that?"

Lester spoke up at that point and said "No, we'll be fine. If we bring more people over it may be harder to keep our cover and besides whoever we bring would have to know all about the Jimenez's because she's known everywhere and sometimes you can't fake that first meeting."

The Cmdr agreed and then said very excitedly told them "Great work boys, I'll fax you a copy of what Osvaldo looks like so when you meet him, you'll be able to tell right away if it's him."

Carlos said "Thank you Cmdr, once we have a positive ID then we will let you know and then we can decide what needs to be done at that point."

The Cmdr replied "Perfect boys, I look forward to hearing from you in a few weeks." And then he hung up.

Lester looked at Carlos wiggled his eyebrows and said "I think we should go into the next town over and find a couple of hotties to take on Saturday. This way there is no chance that they know any of them personally and maybe we'll get lucky as well. I know it's been way to long for either of us."

Lester saying that got Carlos thinking about Estefania's reaction to them getting dates again. Thinking that maybe she was jealous and that's what was bothering her. At that moment he realized that she really had no reason to feel that way since she had a boyfriend. With that he looked at his cousin and said "Sounds perfect man. "

Lester smiled at him and gave him a fist bump, wiggled his eyebrows and said "Damn right it does." Carlos just laughed and nodded his head in agreement.

So the next night Carlos and Lester drove to over to El Vigia and walked into La Pampa Lounge.

They walked up to the bartender and ordered a couple of drinks, sitting down at the other end of the bar the guys noticed two very beautiful women checking them out. They were really good looking women so they started to walk over to them.

As soon as they were in front of them, the girls look up at them and started smiling and giggling both of them being a little tipsy. One of them had a very dark complexion with long black wavy hair and dark brown sultry eyes and the other one had medium length brown hair that had a little bit of curls at the end and deep green eyes.

Carlos smiled at them and said "_Hi, my name is Carlos and this is my cousin Lester._"

The long black haired one looked at him reached her hand out and said "_Hi. I'm Genesis and this is my best friend Sharia. Nice to meet you._"

Before Carlos could take her hand, Lester butted in and gave her his best smile took her hand and kissed it while saying "_The pleasure is all mine._" She looked into his eyes and blushed.

Seeing that Lester had staked his claim on Genesis, he took a quick look at Sharia and a quick thought flashed in his head that thank goodness that there was no resemblance to another brown haired woman he knew.

He gave his head a small shake to clear out his mind and then reached over and grabbed Sharia's hand and gave it a kiss just like Lester had done with Genesis.

After the introductions were done they decided to move to a table where is was more quieter so they could hold a conversation without having to yell over the noise. The guys started talking about themselves and telling the ladies that they were college students over at the University. The ladies told them that they didn't have a chance to go to University but that they were out tonight celebrating Sharia's job promotion.

Sharia told them they both work at the local airport and that she is now one of the Leads in the Ticket Customer Service Department. Genesis said she works in the same department as Sharia has a Customer Service Rep.

Lester asked with a big smile on his face "_Well do you mind if we hang out with you for the remainder of the night to help you celebrate?"_

Genesis looked over at Sharia and she nodded her head so Genesis said "_We'd really like that. Do you have to be back to the University at a certain time?_"

Carlos looked at the ladies and said "_No we don't. We don't live on Campus we have our own house so we don't have to be back at a certain time. We just need to make sure that we get home in time to get up so we make it to our classes tomorrow._"

Genesis and Sharia looked at each other and smiled, Sharia said "_That's cool._"

So they spent the rest of the night dancing and drinking and getting to know each other and celebrating.

When the bar closed down the guys started walking the ladies to their car.

Once they were at the back of the Sharia's car Carlos said "_We had a great time tonight and we were wondering if you two aren't working if you would like to come with us on Saturday night, we're meeting some friends at El Hoyo Queque at 8pm and would really like it if you would join us._"

Sharia looked over at Genesis and she gave a slight nod, so Sharia said "_Although we do have to work on Saturday, we only work until 4pm so we'd love to go._"

Lester threw his arm around Genesis shoulder walked her over to where the passenger door was and and pulled her closer to him and said "_That's great! So do you want to meet us there or would you rather come to the house and then we all go together?_"

Genesis said "_I think it would be better for now if we met you at the clue._" Then Lester leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Afterwards she just looked at him and gave him a shy smile.

While she was doing that Carlos lead Sharia to the driver's side door and leaned in gave her a small kiss on the lips and said "_I can't wait to see you on Saturday. Thanks for agreeing to go with us to meet our friends."_

Each couple exchanged phone numbers and then got into their cars and drove off.

Once they were on their way home Carlos said to Lester "I don't think that we should activity seek out Estefania for the rest of the week."

Lester wanting to call Carlos out said "That's a bunch a bullshit you're just pissed at her and that's why you don't want to see her."

Carlos knowing that he was partially right decided not to comment, so they spent the rest of the ride home not saying anything and in complete quiet.

Once they got home they each went their own rooms.

Carlos sitting on his bed started thinking about everything and tried keeping a level head about things. He started to feel bad about hitting on Sharia because he knew that he was attracted to Estefania but then rationalized to himself that it wasn't a good thing to think or feel that way for a couple of reasons. One because she's the reason he's on this mission and two she has a boyfriend.

o after a bit of internal debating he decided that he just needed to ignore his feelings for Estefania and only remain friends. So he picked up his phone and sent a text to Sharia.

He sent: Did you make it home safe?

She replied: Sure did. You?

He replied: Yep.

She replied: I'm really glad that I met you tonight.

He said: Me too.

She replied: You don't talk much do you.

He replied: Nope, I'm more of a action person.

She replied: Interesting, maybe one day you can show me just how much of an action guy you are.

He replied: Oh it will be a whole lot more than interesting when that happens.

She replied: Wow... kind of full of yourself aren't you?

He replied: Not full of myself just confident, there's a difference. And I've never heard any complaints.

She replied: Oh I bet you haven't. Well hate to cut this short but I have to go to sleep so I can get up in the morning for work.

He replied: OK. Have a great night.

She replied: You too.

He shut his phone off and then got ready for bed. Thinking about his conversation with Sharia he let a small smile cross his face and realized that he was looking forward to going to the club on Saturday and it wasn't because he was going to see Estefania.

The rest of the week flew by with Carlos and Lester going to school and soccer practice and texting and talking to Sharia and Genesis.

Finally Saturday came and the guys got ready to go to the club. They had decided that they would meet the girls at 7:45 in front of the club.

So when they saw them standing there they walked up and gave them a hug. Carlos threw his arm around Sharia shoulders and moved her towards the door, as Lester was doing the same with Genesis.

When they got to the door Carlos told the bouncer "_We're guests of Estefania Jimenez_."

The bouncer looked at them and said "_Names_". Lester said "_Carlos and Lester and guests._" The bouncer nodded his head and opened the door for them.

While they were walking through the door Sharia looked over at Genesis giving her a confusing look. Genesis just shrugged her shoulders.

Letting her curiosity getting the better of her, Sharia put her arm around Carlos's waist and said "_How do you know Ms. Jimenez?_"

Carlos looked at her and said "_We ran to each other at school and we became friends with her and her best friend. We're actually here tonight so we can meet her boyfriend._"

Sharia just nodded her head, she wasn't sure how to proceed from here, she had heard things about the Jimenez family and wasn't sure that she wanted to get involved with someone who was close with them. It was something she'd have to talk to Genesis later.

Once they had made it inside they were escorted upstairs to the VIP area. As soon as they get up there they noticed that Diego and Isabella were up there but they didn't see Estefania.

Isabella saw them come in and walked up to them and gave them each a hug. After hugging Lester he introduced Genesis and Sharia to her. Once the introductions were out of the way Carlos was getting ready to ask where Estefania was at when Diego walked over.

He reached his hand out to Carlos and said "_I'm Diego, you must be Carlos." and then reached over to Lester to shake his hand and said "and you must be Lester._"

When Carlos gave him a questioning face Diego smiled and said "_Estefania described you guys to me._" Before Diego could say anything else Carlos interrupted him and said "_Speaking of which, where is Estefania? I don't see her. Is she here yet?_"

Diego looked at him and said "_She isn't here, she had an family emergency and had to leave._"

Carlos and Lester quickly looked at each other. Then Carlos forgetting completely about Sharia and got in front of Isabella and said "_I hope everything is OK. When will she be back?_"

Not liking the way that Carlos just ignored his date to ask about Estefania Diego said in an annoyed voice _"Don't know. She got a call from her dad on Thursday and took off with her bodyguards. When she takes off like this she doesn't tell us much and as far as when she'll be back don't have a clue."_


	15. Trouble Brewing for the Jimenez Family

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

**Authors Note: **

Thank you all for your reviews, comments, favorites and follows. You have no idea how much I really do appreciate it.

I noticed some issues with this chapter when I went back over it and figured I would update it. I was in such a hurry to get it out there that I didn't recheck it. Sorry.

**Spanish conversations are italicized.**

**Puerto Cabello, Venezuela – Trouble Brewing for the Jimenez Family **

**About a Week before Estefania Left**

Osvaldo was sitting in his living room thinking about how much he missed his princess, ever since she's been at the University the house has been really quiet. It was beginning to bother him to the point where he even thought about buying a house close to the University for himself just so he could be near her, but he decided against that because he didn't want her to accuse him of trying to smother her and not letting her learn to be on her own.

Plus, lately she'd been more interested in hanging out with Diego than coming home. That was something else he needed to decide, exactly how he felt about that relationship, somewhere in the back of his mind he wasn't so sure that Diego was the right guy for her, he just didn't have proof or how to tell her to stop seeing him.

While he was pondering his thoughts his second in command stormed into the house and walked into the living room and basically shouted "_Osvaldo we need to talk._"

Osvaldo looked up at him and nodded and Eric continued "_We have a possible situation going on and you aren't going to like it be we need to discuss it and you absolutely cannot freak out_."

Osvaldo, not a patient man motioned for him to sit down on the couch and said "_Well tell me what it is and then I'll let you know if I'm going to freak out or not._"

Eric took a deep breath and said "_There's been some underground noise about something happening with Estefania and before you jump out of your seat and running to the University and dragging her back here, let me explain what we've been hearing."_

Osvaldo nodded his head for Eric to continue.

Eric said "_It's believed that someone has been taking pictures of Estefania and sending them out to certain people, who may want to target her. We're still trying to figure out if it's true and if so who's doing it. After that then we'll find that out if in fact the pictures have been sent to anyone._"

Osvaldo sat in silence for a second thinking about what Eric had said and then after taking a deep breath finally said "_Tell me exactly why I shouldn't drive up there and drag her back home where she's safe?_"

Eric shook his head because he knew that question was coming, so he simply replied "_First of all we don't know if it's true. It could be someone saying that to see if we'll make a move and second of all what would you tell her Oh by the way we think there could be a threat so you have to leave all your friends and classes and come home. What happens if it's not real? Let us find out first and then we'll take action accordingly._"

Osvaldo looked at his second and command and best friend and sighed and said "_Fine. What steps have you taken so far to find out if this is true or not?_"

Eric said "_I've contacted Leonardo and I'm waiting for me to call me back. He says he's got a few reliable sources that know what could possibly be going on and knows who to speak to but there are a couple of people that aren't being as cooperative as others so they're having a little harder time to get answers from them. So it may end up taking a few days before we're able to get to the bottom of things_."

Osvaldo nodded his head and said "_The sooner we get those answers the better. There is no room for error here and we need to make sure everyone gives us the answers that we are looking for and I want to know the minute you get that call and what they say. Right now I'm going to call Tomas while your still here so we can fill him in and see if he or Franco might now something or have possibly seen anything_."

Eric just nodded his head.

Grabbing his phone Osvaldo pressed speed dial #3 to call Tomas. Once it started ringing he put it on speaker phone.

Tomas answered quickly with a "_Boss_."

Osvaldo said "_Tomas, Eric is here with me and you're on speaker phone. We have some questions for you and Franco. Is he with you?_"

Tomas said "_Yes sir, he's right here. Hold on and we'll find a quiet place real quick so I can put it on speaker phone._"

A couple of seconds later Tomas put the speaker phone on and Franco said "_We're both here, sir. What can we help you with?"_

Osvaldo said "_There's a potential situation that could be going on that involves Estefania. Right now we're not sure if our information is correct or not and hopefully we'll be getting those answers soon, but in the meantime have you seen or heard anything going on that's unusual_?"

Tomas spoke up and said "_What do you exactly mean by unusual_?"

Eric spoke up and said "_Well, there have been rumors that someone has been taking pictures of Estefania to possibly target her. Now, like I said we don't know if it's true or not and we also don't know who could be doing it._"

Tomas said "_Damn. No Boss we haven't seen anyone around her with a camera and any other type of photographic equipment. We would have noticed something that._"

Then Franco said "_The only thing that has happened to her lately but that really didn't seem out of the norm, well not for her anyway. She actually ran into a couple of guys the other day, and I mean that literally. She was day dreaming about something and wasn't paying attention to where she's going and she ran smack dab right into one of them. They seemed to take it in stride and then tried to talk to he_r."

Tomas continued "_Then later that afternoon, they showed up at the pizza place right after she got there, we tried to approach but she signaled us to stay away. She hung out with them until her order came and then she left. We've spoken to Estefania about them and she says that they are friendly and that she doesn't get a bad vibe from them, so we haven't been too concerned about it."_

Osvaldo said "_What do you mean they "tried" to talk to her and what does Diego think about them?_"

Tomas answered "_Well, he's the reason that they only got to try and talk to her. He was there the first time they met, but somehow I don't think he knows about them meeting at the pizza place and I believe that has a lot to do with Estefania. He was there when they first met and Diego's reaction wasn't too kind._"

Eric having a feeling that the response to this next question was going to be good but he decided that it needed to be asked anyway so he said "_What exactly happened the first time that they met?_"

Tomas took a deep breath knowing that this wasn't going to go well continued "_You aren't going to like this and she going to get really pissed at us for saying anything but when she bumped into them Diego had suddenly showed up out of nowhere and started yelling at her. She walked away from the guys and approached Diego but when she got near him, he grabbed her arm and pulled her away and walked her away from them and took her to her class_."

Franco continued with what happened by saying "_We know you said whenever she was with him she was safe but in this instant we didn't feel that she was so we followed them. When they were in front of her class she yanked her arm away from him and then got in his face and started yelling at him. He let her pull her arm back away from him but before she could continue he started to grill her about who the guys were and how did she meet them and what she was doing with them. After a few minutes of her fighting of his questions he finally calmed him down enough that he listened to her and allow her to explain what happened. Then she promised him that she would get pizza for dinner after class and then the two of them would hang out at the house for the rest of the night._"

Osvaldo not liking what he was hearing and if the next question he was getting ready to ask was answered incorrectly then he was going to lose his temper and all hell would break loose.

Eric with the understanding of how his best friend and boss felt at that moment reached over and put his hand on Osvaldo arm to try and calm him down. Then he asked the question that neither of them wanted to ask. _He said "Tomas are you saying that Diego is starting to abuse Estefania?"_

Tomas not sure what to say at this point decided that it was time to just be honest. He knew that if it ever came out that they knew what was going on and did say anything about it, they wouldn't have to worry about their jobs anymore because nobody would find their bodies. Not to mention he was tired of what Diego has been doing and how he's been acting and even though Estefania has told them over and over that she's fine and not to say anything to Osvaldo because he's never hurt her, it had to stop.

Apparently he'd had been thinking too long and took too long to answer because Eric then said sternly said "_Franco?_"

That pulled Tomas from his thoughts and before Franco could say anything he spoke up and said "_OK you know Estefania is going to kill us for saying anything because she always says it isn't a big deal and she has reassured us over and over that she is more than capable of handling things herself. Honestly, in my opinion he's been getting close to crossing that line lately._"

Osvaldo voice got very angry as he said "_Explain._"

Tomas said "_He doesn't like any guys getting close to her at all. It doesn't matter if they just say hi to her or are just being friendly. We've seen him glare at guys and a few times he's come close to hitting some of them. Once it's just the two of them, he starts yelling and screaming at her blaming her for those guys wanting to talk to her. Often saying that she's leading them on by flirting with them and that she likes having all their attention and how she probably wants them to have sex with them. Which Boss she never does any of that stuff, you know Estefania she's just friendly._"

He heard "_True_." On the other end of the phone and then continued "_I've only seen him grab her that one time and when I approached her about it she said that she was fine and he didn't hurt her. She also made a clear point to tell me that she had stood up to him and told him to knock it off._"

Osvaldo did not like what he was hearing at all and wanted Estefania to come home this weekend so he could speak to her about this, so he said "_I am not a happy person right now and I understand that you feel responsible for her and want to be loyal to her because you've been with her for a long time, but this is something that the two of you should have been reported to me when it first started happening_."

Tomas and Franco both said "_Yes sir." But before either of them could say anything else Osvaldo interrupted and said "I want her to come home this weekend, so I can talk to her about this. However, we all know how Estefania if I demand her to do anything, so I'm going to need the two of you to make sure that you find a way to make her come home._"

They both said "_Yes sir._"

Osvaldo said "_And if we hear anything before you get here then I'll let you know what's going on. And if something else happens with Diego, I want to know immediately._"

Then he angrily added "_DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR_?"

Franco and Tomas both said "_Yes sir._" at the same time but it was too late because the line had already gone dead.

After Osvaldo hung up the phone he reared his arm back in a motion like he was going to throw the phone, but Eric stopped him and said "_Remember your temper and keep in mind that they won't let anything happen to her_."

Osvaldo just nodded his head and got up off the couch and walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink, looking over at Eric who just nodded his head in agreement.

**That Saturday**

Tomas knew he had to call to Osvaldo soon and he was definite that this would not be a good conversation and not looking forward to it. Taking a breath he bit the bullet and pressed the #1 on his phone keypad and it automatically dialed Osvaldo's number.

Osvaldo answered the phone by saying "_When can I expect you, I was hoping that you would have gotten here last night._"

Tomas said "_Sir, we're not coming. I talked to Estefania yesterday about heading home last night and she said she couldn't leave and that she would let me know in the morning what she wanted to do. When I called her this morning she said that Diego was being a pain about her leaving to go home this weekend, so she just decided that it would be easier to stay here then having to deal with him and his attitude. She did say that she'll try and go home next weekend_."

Osvaldo tried to remain calm said "_This is not highly unacceptable, however knowing what a tough spot you are in right now I will allow her stay there for now. You ARE to talk to her on Monday to make sure that nothing happened to her this weekend and you WILL call me and tell me everything. In the meantime I want you two to discreetly keep guard outside of her house, take shifts if you have to. If one hair on her head gets harmed, it will be your heads that roll. Understand?_"

Tomas said "_Yes sir_."

Osvaldo taking a calming breath said "_Also, just to let you know we still haven't heard anything_."

Then he added "_Tomas, I know that I can trust you and I know you won't let anything happen to her. You know she's my life and I just can't stand the thought of someone intentionally hurting her. I'll be expecting your call on Monday._" And with that he hung up.

**Monday **

Tomas and Franco were sitting on the benches away from Estefania and Isabella. The girls were watching those two guys trying out for soccer. They had finally met them and learned that their names were Carlos and Lester. They seemed nice but with the unknown going on right now, they weren't ready to take any chances so they kept a close eye on them.

Tomas was a little nervous about calling Osvaldo but he knew that he was going to have to tell him what was going on. He decided that he couldn't put it off anymore because then the Boss would call him and that absolutely would not be good. So he picked up his phone and again pressed the #1 on his speed dial and hit the speaker so the three of them could talk.

Osvaldo answer the phone "_Tomas, what happened?"_

Tomas explained "_She didn't want to say anything at first but what she finally told us was that Diego didn't give a second of peace and wouldn't leave her alone and that he wouldn't let her out of his site. The only way she could get away from him was to go in her room. She also decided that she had enough of him and for today she decided to skip her classes today, to just go out by herself and relax by going to the spa or something. However, when Estefania talked to Isabella and told her what her plans were Isabella wanted to go with her. Then Diego found out and wasn't too happy with that and got on her thinking that she was hiding something from him. She argued with him telling him that she just needed time away from him for a little bit but he didn't want to hear it so he told her that he would just skip his own classes and go off on his own as well._"

Osvaldo breathed in deeply and said "_Uh huh."_

So Tomas continued "_Then he stormed out of the house and took off. We didn't follow him so we don't know where he went, but after that the girls left and started to head to the spa. While they were walking Estefania saw those guys again from last week walking and decided to play around with them. She hit them with a rolled up piece of paper and then they stopped and talked to them. Both of the guys looked a little nervous looking around for someone, my guess would have been Diego._"

Franco then added "_We knew that with this being the 3__rd__ time that she saw them, we knew you would want us to meet them and she knew that she had to introduce us. So we started to walk over there as she called us over and then finally introduced us to them. Their names are Carlos and Lester._"

Osvaldo said "_What are their last names and what are they like_?"

Franco said "_They didn't give us their last names and I'm not sure Estefania knows what they are, but they seemed to be around Diego's age and were very respectable and polite. After we walked away they started walking together in the opposite direction they were originally head but without hearing their conversation we weren't quite sure what they were doing. They ended up at the soccer field and that's where we're sitting here right now watching them try out for the team_."

Osvaldo not liking the whole Diego situation decided that maybe these guys could be a blessing in disguise, but without knowing much about them he couldn't make assumptions yet. So he said "_I'm calling her now and then call you back to let you know our next steps will be._"

Osvaldo hung up and then called Estefania.

After their conversation he did feel a little bit better about the guys, but wouldn't be completely satisfied until he met them. He was glad that she understood that he wouldn't back down from this and was willing to ask them to meet with him. He was even smart enough to understand that if they didn't want to meet that meant that there was something going on and they may even be untrustworthy or they just weren't that interested or dedicated to being her friend.

Deciding that if either is the case that he would follow through with his threat and he would stop them from seeing her at all, but with the way she talked about them he really hoped that wouldn't be the case.

Even though he had work that needed to be done he spent most of the day worrying about what they were going to decide and realizing that he wasn't going to get anything done walked out of the house and go down to the beach. He needed to clear his mind and hoped that doing something familiar like taking a walk on the beach would make him feel closer to her, he really missed having her home.

Later that evening, she called him.

He answered the phone "_My princess_." She said "_Hi Papi_"

Deciding to voice what he was thinking earlier he said "_I miss you. This house is too quiet without you. You should come home more often_" She said "_I know Papi, I'll come home soon and we'll spend lots of time together. I promise._"

Osvaldo sighed and then said "_So tell me did your guys agreed to me meeting them_?"

Estefania getting defensive said "_Papi, first off they are not my guys_." Then softened her voice and said "_and secondly yes they agreed. Carlos that's one of their names the other one is named Lester and they are cousins. Anyway, like I said Carlos thought that since you like soccer that you might like to come over and see them play their first soccer game. Then afterwards we could all go out to dinner. That way you could get to know them better_. "

Osvaldo said "_That sounds like a very good idea. I'd really like the way Carlos thinks. So when is their first game_?"

She replied "_I'm not really sure but I know it's in a couple of weeks. But Papi something happened while I was talking to them and I think I made a mistake with this whole thing and now I'm questioning myself."_

Osvaldo said "_Why would you say that my dear_?"

She said "_I thought it would be a good idea if I had them meet Diego before they met you, because we both know how Diego can be overbearing sometimes. Well I think that's the part that I'm questioning and may have backfired on me_."

Osvaldo knowing that right now was not the time to bring up what's he's found out about Diego because she just sounded so sad and defeated so instead he said "_Why Princess, what makes you think that?_"

She replied "_Well, we were trying to figure out a way that they could meet him and not have any type of confrontation with him. Carlos came up with the idea of all of us meeting at a club and then they would bring dates that way Diego wouldn't think that they were trying to be with me_."

Osvaldo said "_That sounds like a good plan, what happened_?"

She said "_Oh Papi, I don't know. When he mentioned bringing dates I just got this weird feeling and I didn't like it so I lashed out at him._"

Smiling because he had a feeling, he asked her "_Why_?"

She blew out a frustrated breath and said _"I don't know why. I've never felt this way before not even with Diego. I mean other women have come up to Diego and have talked to him, even flirted with him but I've never felt this way. I just don't know why it bothered me to think of Carlos with someone else and it was only with him I felt that way. I didn't care that Lester was going to get a date, although I think that might have bothered Izzy._"

Osvaldo laughed and said "_Honey, it sounds like what you are feeling is jealousy. Do you like Carlos more than just a friend?"_

She answered "_Papi, it's not funny and I don't know. The only boyfriend I've ever had was Diego. I don't have any other male friends because he doesn't like other guys around me and before you ask Diego doesn't really know that I hang out with Carlos and Lester, because he wouldn't like it. I'm just so confused on what I should do_."

Osvaldo said "_Come_ _home and leave them all there and stay my little girl forever_." Estefania laughed and said "_Nice try, and although I'll always be your little girl you're going to have to face the fact that I'm growing up Papi and becoming a young lady._"

Osvaldo said "_I know but an old man can wish right_?"

She responded "_You're not old and I'll eventually figure out what I'm going to do. I am after all your daughter and I've learned how to deal with problems from the best. In the meantime, I promise that I'll come home in a couple of weeks."_

_Osvaldo said "OK my princess, let me know the date of the game and I'll be there. You know you can always call me on Sunday and let me know how everything works out_."

Estefania replied "_I may do that, I might need some of your old man wisdom and Papi I love you. Thank you for always being there for me_" He smiled and laughed then said "_Anytime my heart and I love you too._" And then they both hung up.

Osvaldo smiled at the phone and then couldn't wait to meet this young man who had seemed to catch his daughter's eye. He thought however that it will be very interesting to see how Diego reacts to this whole thing.

**Wednesday Night Close to Midnight**

Osvaldo was sleeping in bed when his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and picked it up and said "_Eric, this had better be important._"

Eric said "_It is, sir. You need to get up and be downstairs in 5 minutes and I'll meet you there_."

Osvaldo rushed to get dressed and then get downstairs. As he was walking down the stairs, Eric was walking through the front door and he had a folder in his hands.

Osvaldo went to reach for the folder and Eric said "_Not yet, let's go into the dining room so we can sit down and talk first._"

He followed Eric and sat down at the head of the table as he always does and Eric sat beside him. He looked at Eric waiting for him to start.

Eric hung his head down for a second and then lifted it up and looked Osvaldo in the eyes and said "_It's true._"

Osvaldo felt like his heart dropped out of his chest, but he managed to say "_Tell me._"

Eric said "_We know all of it. We know who, the why, and to who it was being sent to_."

Osvaldo nodded and said "_Proceed_."

Eric said "_You really aren't going to believe this because I had a hard time but it's absolutely true and has been confirmed. Here's what's going on. The guy that was taking the pictures is someone who lives in the area, and his son just started at the same University that Estefania goes to this year. The man's name is Avi and we've located him and his son. We've been speaking to them. I even drove out there myself to make sure this was handled discreetly and correctly. Anyway, so Avi told us that yes he was taking pictures but it wasn't so much because of her but Diego. He tried to claim at the time that his son had been threatened by Diego for speaking to Estefania and all his son was trying to do was befriend her._"

Osvaldo said "_Well honestly that would fall into everything that we've heard about Diego but you said him trying to claim at the time. What do you mean by that?"_

Eric smiled and said "_You picked up on that huh?"_

Osvaldo just nodded his head.

Eric continued "_We didn't feel that was the whole truth so we started to encourage Avi to give us the answers that we really wanted. Finally he admitted that wasn't the story and that he'd been contacted by one of your enemies because they had heard that his son was friends with Estefania and since they had known that he'd been known to be an informant for several organizations they wanted him to give them the information. He said that they had threatened him saying they would go after his son if he didn't cooperate, so he felt he had no other choice but to agree. The plan was to get to her through him once they made sure that she was indeed Estefania so that's why he took the pictures. He also said that no one has contacted him yet since that first phone call. Avi said that they were planning on calling him and give him instructions on what to do with the pictures sometime this week._"

Osvaldo couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had always been extra careful and taken extra precautions just to make sure no one could get to her.

Osvaldo said "_OK so we found him first, did he say who the person was? What are the plans for them now, we can't take the chance and just let them be, we have to take care of them. I also have to notify Tomas and Franco about this."_

Eric said "_Yeah he told us and it's an old familiar friend from the beginning. We are definitely going to take care of them and we have a plan but you and Estefania are going to need to disappear for a little bit while we put the plan into motion. She won't like it but it has to be done this way. I've already taken the liberty of having the island prepared for your arrival. What's going to be happening to Avi and his son will happen after you two have taken off and have been in the air for a while._"

Osvaldo nodded his head thinking even though Estefania is used to this happening she isn't going to be happy about it at all. Especially since she has or had plans for this weekend, then thinking like her father said to himself that she'll just have to get over it because her safety is more important.

Then Osvaldo told Eric _"Don't worry about Estefania I'll take care of her, but make sure that the staff on the island knows that there will be 4 of us. Her and I and then Franco and Tomas, I want them there just in case._"

Eric nodded his head and left the house to go finish the preparations.

Osvaldo went back up to his room and picked up his phone and called Tomas.

Tomas answered sleepily with a "_Lo_." Osvaldo simply stated "_We know."_

Tomas instantly became awake and said "_What did you find out?_"

So Osvaldo repeated everything that he had learned that night from Eric.

Tomas said "_Oh shit. So what do we need to do now?"_

Osvaldo said "_First you need to let Franco know what's going on. I know that Estefania's classes start at 9am on Thursday mornings so I'm going to call her at 7 and tell her that you and Franco will be there to pick her up in 30 minutes and that she needs to be packed and ready to go by the time you get there. Then I want the 3 of you on the road and on your way here by no later 8am. Once you get here we'll discuss what's going to happen next. But know this will be like all the other times_."

Tomas said "_Understood Boss_."

**Thursday Morning**

Estefania's phone started ringing at 7am, hearing it she groaned and silenced it. Then it after 5 minutes of it constantly ringing, she finally picked it up without looking at the caller ID and said "_WHAT! This had better be important._"

Osvaldo laughed in her ear thinking that had responded the exact same way when he was woken up Eric earlier and said "_My princess it is very important that you get up now. There's something going on and we have to go. Since you decided to let your phone ring for 5 minutes Tomas and Franco will be there in exactly 25 minutes to pick you up so make sure you are all packed and ready to go. You are to be on the road coming home by 8am. Understood?_"

She sighed, thinking she should be used to this but her first thought was her schooling and the fact that she could fall behind. So she asked "_What about my classes, and how long are we going to be gone_?"

Osvaldo said "_As far as your classes I'll call the school and explain that there are extenuating circumstances and we need all of your teachers to email you your assignments. So while you're packing make sure you include all your books. As far as how long, I'm not sure at the moment. You are not allowed to tell Diego or Isabella that we are leaving or that somethings going on. Just tell them that there's been an emergency at home but you weren't told what it was and that you needed to get home as quickly as possible. You can tell them that it has nothing to do with my health but don't give them any more than that._"

Knowing it was going to happen whether she wanted it to or not she simply said "_Yes, Papi._"


	16. Reactions to Estefania Being Gone

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

**Authors Note: **

Thank you all for your reviews, comments, favorites and follows. You really have no idea how much I appreciate it.

**Spanish conversations are italicized.**

**Universidad de Los Andes –Merida Venezuela****– Reactions to Estefania Being Gone**

As soon as Estefania got off the phone she immediately started grabbing her suitcases and any boxes out of her closet and started packing up her stuff. She wasn't sure how long she would be gone this time so she wanted to make sure that she had everything. After she was done she took one last look around the room to make sure that she didn't forget anything.

Exactly 25 minutes after she had hung up with him, she heard Tomas and Franco unlocked the door and walked into the house.

She walked out of her room and looked at them then at her watch and just shook her head. She held up her finger to let them know that she would only be a minute longer.

They nodded their head and then Tomas quietly asked "_Do you need any help_?"

She replied "_I think I pretty much got everything, you know I'm a pro at this. I'll start putting it all in the hallway so you can put it in the car. I'm guessing you drove the large SUV because I'm bringing a lot of stuff with me_."

Again they both nodded their heads and she walked back into her room.

Diego hearing the front door open and then hearing quiet voices came out of his room to find out who was coming in the house and what was going on.

He saw Tomas and Franco standing there in the living room. He had hated the fact that they just walked in whenever they wanted to like they own the place, but he thought about it and this time it seemed different they looked like they were waiting on something.

Since he didn't know what was going on or why they were there so early he asked them with what he thought was authority behind his voice "_What's going on and what are you doing in my house this early?_"

Tomas looked at Franco and gave him a slight eye roll. Franco looked Tomas in the eye and they had a silent conversation between themselves and they both nodded. They were really getting fed up with him and his attitude.

Tomas decided that since Osvaldo had been told everything that had been going, he would finally give Diego the wakeup call that he deserved regarding how things are really supposed to be, so he replied "_Well Diego the first thing that you need to realize is that this is NOT your house. If I remember correctly the name Mr. Osvaldo Jimenez is on the deed which would mean that the house would belong to him not you and I believe that he is allowing you to stay here is because of his daughter and your relationship to her. So with that being the case that would mean that you wouldn't get to decide on who's allowed to come or go around here."_

Tomas paused so Diego could let that sink in and then he continued "_The second thing is that Franco and I are not obligated to give you any type of information or any explanation as to why we are here. However being the nice guy that I am, I will simply tell you that we have been instructed to come here to get Estefania and take her home_."

Being done with the conversation Tomas walked away from Diego and went to Estefania's room to see if she needed help putting things in the hallway, so they could start loading up the car.

Diego didn't like being talked to like that and he absolutely hated that he didn't know what was going on, so he looked at Franco and said "_I demand to know what's happening and why you are taking Estefania away._"

Franco smiled at him and then laughed while he was saying "_You demand, interesting. I would suggest you call Mr. Jimenez and tell him that_." And then Franco walked away following Tomas' lead.

Isabella finally came out of her room and started looking around trying to figure out what was going on.

With Tomas and Franco in Estefania's room she told them what needed to go and they started picking stuff up and carrying it out to the car.

While they were outside Isabella and Diego came into her room. Diego being pissed off from the way he had been treated looked at Estefania and said "_I want to know what's going on and I want to know right now, and why is all of your stuff packed, where are going_?"

Estefania looked at him and shrugged her shoulders and said "_I'm going home. Papi called me this morning and told me that there was some type of emergency and that I had to come home. Before you ask, I don't know how long gone so I that's why I decided to pack everything just in case._"

Diego said "_Well you can't leave, I won't allow it."_

Estefania laughed at him pulled her phone out of her back pocket and reached it out for Diego to take it and said "_Then you call HIM and you tell HIM that_."

He stared at her for a few seconds, but when he didn't reach for the phone she put it back where it was and then grabbed a box of her stuff and walked out of her room to put it by the front door.

Diego getting even more aggravated with everything decided that he'd just go sit in the living room and sit on the couch and ignore everyone.

Isabella followed Estefania her back into her room and quietly asked "_What's going on and are you OK_?"

Estefania replied "_Izzy I really don't know, I was really telling Diego the truth about not knowing what's going on, but for now I'm OK and just so you know Papi said that he wanted me to tell you that whatever this is doesn't have anything to do with his health_.

With Isabella's help Estefania stacked the rest of her stuff outside her bedroom door. Then she pulled Isabella into her room and quietly shut her door to make sure no one could see or hear what she was planning to say to Isabella.

Estefania looked at Isabella then grabbed her hands and said "_Izzy I have a huge favor to ask of you_."

Isabella just nodded her head and said "_I'd do any for you, you know that._"

She let go of Isabella's hands and pulled out a folded up note out of the front pocket of her shorts and reached her hand out to her and said "_I need you to find a way to give this to Carlos, but you have to do it so that no one else knows that you gave it to him. I really feel bad for having to leave like this and I don't want him to be mad at me. I know things were a little rocky between him and I the last time we saw each other but I'm hoping this might clear some things up. Who knows maybe me being gone will help straighten out a few things_."

Isabella looked at her wondering what she meant by that but decided not to say anything so she took the note and said "_I promise you that I'll give it to him and I won't tell anyone else about it._"

Then she gave Estefania a big hug and with a concerned voice said "_Oh Essie, be safe and please be careful with whatever is going on._"

Estefania nodded her head and said with a sad smile "_I will, you know me I've always got the best guards around_."

About that time Tomas yelled through the door "_Estefania, everything's all packed up and it's time to go_."

Estefania yelled back _"I'm coming."_ And she opened the door walked out of her room with Isabella following behind her.

She gave Isabella another hug and said "_I'll see you soon, hopefully. If I get a chance to call you, I will just so I can let you know what's going on or how I am_."

Then she walked up to Diego and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek and said "_Please don't be mad, I don't have any control over this. I'm hoping that I'll be back as soon as I can._"

He nodded his head, gave her quick kiss on her lips and said "_Be careful and don't forget about us._"

She put her hand on his cheek and said _"I'll miss you._" He replied back "_Yeah, _m_e too._"

Then she looked at both of them and said "_Oh and please don't forget to go to the club on Saturday. All the arrangements have already been made. I worked it out with them so that you guys have an open tab. So please go and have some fun for me because we all know that I probably won't be."_

Diego nodded his head and sighed while Isabella said "_We'll go, we promise._"

They all walked out to the porch and Estefania walked down the stairs and got into the back seat of the SUV that was waiting for her.

When she was finished climbing in she sat and waited as Tomas and Franco each gave Isabella and Diego a head nod and climbed in them.

Tomas getting into the driver's seat and Franco got into the front passenger seat.

Once Tomas had started the car and getting ready to drive away Estefania rolled down her window and gave Isabella and Diego a wave goodbye.

They waved back and then watched as her SUV pulled away from the curb and drove down the street and out of their site.

**After Estefania is Gone**

When Isabella and Diego finally walked back into the house, Diego turned to Isabella and thought that maybe Estefania had given her more information than what she told him, so he said "_What was that all about_?"

Isabella looked at him and said "_What was what all about_?"

He said accusingly "_Her taking you into her room_?"

Isabella responded back "S_he didn't take me into her room I followed her because I wanted to talk to her._"

Diego said "_Well why did she shut her door, what did you want to talk about_?"

Isabella said "_Oh good grief! I closed her door because I wanted to make sure she was really OK without having certain people with big ears listening_." Giving him a look that clearly said she was talking about him.

Then she continued "and _I can't believe you were being an asshole to her like that. You and I both know that she doesn't have any control when something like this happens. I'm pretty sure she didn't want to go._"

Diego said "_Do you really think it was an emergency or do you think she's going to disappear again_?"

Isabella said "_I have no idea all she was told was that there was an emergency at home and that was it, the only other thing that she was able to tell me was that it didn't have anything to do with Papi's health and that he's fine_."

Diego just nodded his head and said "_Do we really have to go Saturday night. I don't really want to meet those guys and have to explain all this to them, it's none of their business and since she's not going to be here, there's no point to it."_

Isabella just told him "_Yes we are still going for a couple of reasons. One because they are her friends and they would be worried if we didn't show up and two because that's what she wants us to do and there is a point to it. You know that when she comes back she'll still be friends with them. If I were you I would just suck it up and deal with it. It's only a couple hours out of your life and like she said we both deserve to have a little fun. Especially since it's on her and you know how much you love spending her money."_

He got a smile on his face and said "_Yeah your right ok so we'll go."_

Having had enough of her brother, Isabella said "_I'm going to get ready for my classes and I suggest you do the same_." And then she walked into her room and closed the door.

Diego trying to decide if he wanted to go to his classes or not sat down on the couch, he thought back to his conversation with Estefania on that Tuesday when she had first approached him about going to the club and meeting her new guy friends.

He could tell that she had been nervous about speaking to him about it and it made him smile. She knew he didn't like her being around any other guys.

He had told her that he hadn't been interested in meeting some guys that were just going to be all over her. She had quickly stopped him from saying anything else and explained that their friendship wasn't like that and they had never tried to do anything with her.

Then she had continued by saying that it wouldn't matter anyway because they were bringing dates with them so they would be too preoccupied with them to even notice her.

When his curiosity got the better of him, he asked her where she had met them. That's when she finally told him that these were the same guys from the week before that he had ran into and that he had seen her talking to.

He interrupted her by saying that he really didn't get a good feeling about them and that he didn't want to be around them but then she had to say that they were fine and that she didn't get any weird feelings from them and she wanted him to go.

Then she went on and told him how she had seen them later that day at the pizza place and then again yesterday and she actually had the nerve to tell him that she had watched them try out for soccer team and when her father had called her and demanded to meet them before he would allow them to continue to hang around her.

Then she continued saying that they had gone out to lunch afterwards so she could discuss with them about meeting her Papi, which is what had started this whole thing about him meeting them first at the club.

It really pissed him off that she told him that she was going for a girl's day and then ended up hanging around them all day and then didn't tell him until the following day and that was only because she had to.

He decided that since this was going to either way, he finally relented and started to ask questions about them wanting to know everything she did, that way he would know their names and which one was which.

The shower stopped bringing him out of his thoughts, only to start thinking about her leaving and how he was left out in the dark. He didn't like it because she was his and they should have been more respectful of him.

How was he supposed to learn to better protect her if at a moment's notice they just decide to snatch her up and take her away from him and then tell him it's none of his business and he doesn't need to know what's going on.

He's put too many years into their relationship already and although it started out young and innocently, he was ready to take it to the next level. She was still holding him off though and keeping him at arm's length.

Telling him that she's not ready to take the next step yet, explaining to him that her Papi had told her that she needed to respect herself enough to not be pressured into anything that she wasn't willing to do and that something like sex was sacred and should only be shared with someone you completely love and trust.

Even after Diego told her that he loved her and planned to marry her one day didn't work and he was becoming a very frustrated man.

Of course he did loved her that wasn't the only reason that he had decided that he wanted to marry her, he had high hopes that when the time was right her father would make him his second in command and then once Osvaldo was gone he would take over the family business. Then he'd be living like the King he deserved to be.

He had a sinister smile on his face when Isabella made a noise coming out of her room, she walked up to him and then looked at him weirdly and asked "_Are you going to class or are you going to sit it on the couch like a lump all day and pout because your favorite toy got taken away?"_

He said "_I'm going to go get ready, I just got lost in my thoughts. Give me a second and then we'll go._"

Begrudgingly he got up went into his room quickly got dressed and then they walked out of the house and went to their classes.

**Saturday 7:30pm – El Hoyo Queque **

Isabella and Diego got to the club at 7:30 to make sure that everything was set before the guys got there with their dates got there.

Isabella had to listen to Diego voice his opinion about not wanting to meet them several times a day for the past couple of days until she got so fed up with it she just told him to shut up and get over it.

Isabella didn't want Diego to back out because she was excited to see Lester again. She kept telling herself that he'd have a girl with him and that they'd probably together all night, but she was hoping she would at least get one dance with him.

Plus she had to find a way to get Carlos alone so she could give him the note that Estefania had written to him.

She was leaning on the railing next to Diego when she saw them. She nudged Diego and said _"Look there they are."_

Diego already didn't like them and now after getting a chance to see them he knew that he wouldn't be changing his mind any time soon. Although he was kind of impressed with the sheer size of them, it just pissed him off even more.

Then he glanced over at the girls they had with them and they were really beautiful. He took a closer look at then and decided that he wouldn't mind dancing with the brown haired one. She was kind of the same size and height of Estefania so if he closed his eyes and thought real hard he could pretend she was her and then maybe he wouldn't miss her so much.

He saw one of the bouncers escort them to the stairs, and instructed them to go up the stairs to where they were. Of course Isabella went right up to them and gave them both hugs said Hi and then proceeded to introduce herself to their dates.

Diego was watching them interact and then noticed that the one he knew as Carlos started to look around knowing that he more than likely was looking for Estefania, which really aggravated Diego.

After a few seconds Diego finally decided to introduce himself because that's what Estefania would expect of him and she would have demanded him do it if she were here, so he walked up to Carlos and reached out to shake his hand greet him and then did the same with Lester.

Diego introduced himself to Carlos calling him by his name as Carlos gave him a look that clearly asked the question of how Diego had known his name. Diego laughed internally and then explained who he was and that Estefania has described them to him.

Then right after his explanation Carlos had the nerve to ignore his own date to ask Isabella about Estefania. Asking her where she was.

Diego getting pissed off thinking that since he was her boyfriend Carlos should've been asking him those questions, so before Isabella could say anything about it, Diego butted in and said "_Don't know. She got a call from her dad on Thursday and took off with her bodyguards_." Then he added with a bit of an attitude "_She takes off like this and she doesn't tell us much and as far as when she'll be back she doesn't know so we don't have a clue_."

Diego looked at Carlos in the eyes and with a hardened stare said "_and I hope that's good enough for you because that's all we got._"

Carlos took a couple of steps back from Diego because he wasn't ready to get into a confrontation with him said "_Sure, I was asking if she was OK."_

Carlos finally remembering the ladies looked at Diego and said "_These are our dates Sharia and Genesis_."

Diego reached his hand out to them and said "_Nice to meet you ladies. You both look very nice tonight_." Making Sharia blush a bit, which Diego noticed.

Diego then in a calmer voice told them "_Estefania wanted us to have a good time tonight even though she's not able to be here, so she decided to have an open bar tab for us." Looking at the ladies he said with a smile "If you say that you are a part of the Jimenez group then your drinks or anything else you order will be on her_."

Diego looked at Carlos and Lester and then Carlos said "_I think now might be a good time to go get us some drinks so what does everyone want and Lester and I will go get them?_

Everyone gave them their order and they walked downstairs to the bar.

While they were gone Sharia walked up to Diego and got really close to him and said "_So how do you know Ms. Jimenez_?"

Diego didn't really want to tell her but figured that since she was with Carlos and his sister was close to them talking Sharia's friend that he better tell the truth because if Isabella heard him she would get all on him about it so he leaned in close to her and said "_I'm her boyfriend_."

Sharia suddenly got really interested in Diego and said "_Really."_ Diego just nodded his head. Then she continued with a little bit more flirtation in her voice by saying "_What a shame, I'm still trying to decide if I still wanted to be with Carlos because he's friends with her but if you're her boyfriend then I definitely need to stay away from you."_

Diego looking back at her said "_Why is that?"_ She looked at Diego and said "_How long have you been with her?_" Diego said "_Well I've known her since I was 6 and she was 4_." Sharia looked at him and said "_Then you can figure it out all by yourself without me having to tell you_."

She turned away from him and walked up to Genesis and Isabella and said looking at Isabella "_How long have you known Ms. Jimenez?"_

Isabella laughed and said "_First of all she'd get really pissed off hearing you call her that, she only likes to be called Estefania. Essie thinks being called Ms. Jimenez makes her seem old and reminds her of her grandma. But to answer your question I've known her since we were both 4. She and Papi came to a park one day and my brother Diego and I were there with our cousins and she just walked over to us and started to talk to us and we became fast friends._"

Genesis was in aww and asked her "Oh w_hat's Mr. Jimenez like?"_ Isabella laughed and said "_Papi's really awesome he's like my second dad, he'll do anything for Essie or any of her friends. He just likes to see her happy and does whatever he can to make that happen._"

Sharia wanting to get back in the conversation butted in to add her two cents asked Isabella "_So what is Estefania really like? I bet she's a huge spoiled brat and thinks she owns the world because her "Papi" has so much money and is so powerful?"_

By this time Carlos and Lester had made it back and overheard what Sharia said and they weren't too happy with her right now.

Carlos walked right up to her and put her drink in her hand and before anyone else could say anything he responded "_Well, I can tell you that she has a kind and generous heart and would do anything for anyone. She doesn't give anyone a hard time except for those people that like to make her out to be more than who she is because they are jealous. You should know that she's not any different than anyone else. Although you might want to take a note of the generosity that she gives because in case you forgot that drink you have in your hand is something that she willingly paid for."_

Diego upset by the way that Carlos had come to the defense of his girlfriend, even though everything he did say was true, he butted in before Carlos could continue and said "_and if she were here tonight she wouldn't have taken being disrespected very well and she would have done one of two things. She would have either let you have it or she would have punched you in the nose. Knowing that she doesn't like violence very much she probably would have yelled at you. However, she would have told her bodyguards what you had said about her and they would have escorted you out of the club and then made sure that you would never get any closer to her than 500 feet of her again, no matter who you were with._"

Then looked at Carlos and said "_This is the type of person that you bring to meet my __**girlfriend**__ and to meet me for the first time. Wow I wonder what Estefania would think about that, she obviously values your friendship more than you do."_

Carlos looked at him and knowing he had to stand up for himself said "_I had no idea that she was that type of person when I first met her and I can guarantee that if she wants to continue to be like that then I don't care if never see her again."_

Sharia didn't like what Carlos just said and got pissed so she moved closer to Diego again and looked at him with hooded eyes and said "_I would like a chance to hear more about her so you can prove me wrong. How about you and I go downstairs and we can talk while you dance with me."_

She looked over at Carlos and daring him to say anything to her.

Then she looked back at Diego and waited for an answer, when he nodded his head she got a look of victory on her face. Then he took her hand walked her down the stairs to the dance floor.

Isabella not believing what her brother was doing yelled at him and said "_What the hell do you think you are doing?_"

Diego gave her a hard stare that said to mind her own business but turned around and said "_I'm dancing with Sharia so I can explain to her about Estefania and all the wonderful things that she does."_

Not knowing what her brother was up to didn't like how he was looking at that girl but Isabella just nodded her head and thought maybe this was her chance to talk to Carlos.

She looked Carlos in the eyes and was trying to tell him that she needed to talk to him privately. He got the hint and said "_Lester why don't you take Genesis downstairs with you and have a good time dancing_."

Lester understanding grabbed Genesis' hand and walked her down the stairs.

Once they were gone Carlos turned to her with a questioning look, so Isabella said "_Look I don't know what's going on with you and Essie but I will tell you this, Diego was right her just leaving. Papi called her and then her bodyguards came and got her and took her home. I'm guessing." _

Turning away from the railing so no one could see what she was doing, she pulled the note out of her front pocket and slid it discreetly into Carlos' hand and said "_She gave this to me before she left and make me promise that I would give it to you." _

Pressing it further into his hand and continued "_As far as I know she didn't know anything about what was going on. She felt really bad for having to leave like this and she didn't want you to be mad at her. She knew that things were a little rocky between you two but she was hoping the note might clear some things up and before you ask I don't know what she meant by that. She also told me not to tell anyone about it, so Diego has no idea that it even exists let alone the fact that I just gave that to you."_

Carlos looked at the note in his hand, put it in his pocket and then hugged Isabella and said "_Thank you for being such a good friend to her and I promise I won't let anyone know I have it or that you gave it to me."_

Then he looked at the dance floor and noticed that Sharia and Diego were dancing a little too close for comfort and turned back to Isabella and said "_What's up with your brother, isn't he supposed to be in love with Estefania?"_

Still facing away from the dance floor Isabella sighed and said "_Honestly I think he's more in love with her money and the power that he thinks one day he'll get if he marries her. I mean yeah I get jealous of her sometimes because of how people treat her but I would never take advantage of her like he does and if I'm being really honest I wouldn't want to live her life. It's always been filled with bodyguards and with restrictions on what she can do and can't do. Not to mention the obvious like now when she was told she had to leave and this isn't the first time that's happened."_

Carlos nodded his head but then leaned his head to the side so that she would look at the dance floor. Curious she turned and then saw how Diego was dancing with Sharia.

She looked back at Carlos to see how he was going to react but he just shrugged his shoulders and said "_I just met her the other night and it's not like she's my girlfriend and if the way she spoke about Estefania is any clue of her personality then it's likely that she'll never be. I'm more concerned with the fact that Estefania has only been gone for 3 days and he's already acting like this._"

Isabella nodded her head at him understanding what he was saying. She didn't like what Diego was doing and when they got home she had every intention of telling her brother how she felt about it.

Once the song was over Diego took her to the bar and got another round of drinks and then they made their way back upstairs. Looking quite satisfied he turned to Carlos and Isabella and said with a slight drunken slur "_Mission accomplished. I got her to like Estefania. So Carlos you can be with her again." _

Sharia took over from there and said "_Yeah it sounds like she is an absolutely fantastic person and I can't wait to meet her._"

Isabella not liking the way she said that or the disgusting performance by her and Diego looked at Sharia and in a vicious voice said "_Well I can guarantee you that she would not want to meet you especially after the way you were just dancing with __**HER **__boyfriend_."

Then she turned towards Diego gave him a hard stare and with a bit of malice in voice said "_You're a piece of shit and I hope that whatever you were trying to do with whore was worth losing everything that you supposedly worked so hard for with Estefania, because when she finds out and trust me she will. You will lose her_."

Then she turned to Carlos and said "_I'd really like to go home but I came in his car is there any way that you maybe can take me, I no longer want to be in the presence of those two_."

Before Carlos could answer her, Diego grabbed Isabella's arm and said "_Stop being so dramatic, you're being just like __**HER**__. I was just dancing with Sharia there's nothing more there_."

Isabella slapped him and tried to pull away. Then she said "_You're a liar and I've had enough of it. I saw the way you two looked at each other before you walked her down the stairs. You want to go fuck her then you go do it, but trust me when I say that Estefania will hear about it and I hope that Franco and Tomas kick your ass_."

Diego snapped and tightened his grip on her and said "_How will she know, unless you tell her and I'm sure you won't be doing that. I've worked too hard for you to fuck it up by me just dancing with some other woman."_

Carlos seeing that Isabella was now in pain, looked Diego square in the eyes and said "_I think it might be in your best interest for you to let Isabella go now. You need to leave her alone right now. I know you definitely don't want to do something harmful to your own sister, correct?_"

Diego realized what he was doing and quickly let go and said "_Oh my God, Izzy I'm so sorry I didn't mean to grab you like that. Please forgive me. I just got so crazy with you saying that Estefania would find out about Sharia and leave me." _

He tried to move towards her but Isabella moved behind Carlos and said in a really low voice "_Diego I think it's best if I leave now, I'm sorry but your behavior is unacceptable and I'm afraid of what you'll do."_

Then she turned to Carlos and said "_Can you take me some where safe for the night."_

Carlos hugged her to him and said "_Absolutely, come on let's go."_

Carlos looked at Lester to see what he was going to do and Lester just nodded his head and followed Carlos as he guided Isabella down the stairs and out of the door.

Once they got into Carlos' car Isabella said "_I knew he had anger issues but I've never seen him like that before, it scared me_."

Lester put his arm around Isabella and said "_I'm so sorry you had to see him like that. You said he has anger issues, has he ever hit Estefania before?"_

Carlos perked up waiting for her answer, when she said "_No I don't think so. She's never said anything to me about it and I'm pretty sure she would. We tell each other everything."_

Feeling better with what she said Carlos said "_So where do you want to go now_?"

Isabella said "_Can you just take me to a hotel or something. I don't want to go back to the house. I'm afraid he'll be there._"

Lester said "_We're not taking you to a hotel. You can come home with us."_

She just nodded her head as they all got into the car and drove away, leaving Diego, Sharia, and Genesis at the club.

Isabella sitting in the back seat by herself got lost in her thoughts as Carlos was driving. She started thinking about Diego and wondered if she really wanted to tell Estefania about what had happened or what could possibly happen, but then she also knew that if she didn't tell her and it ever came out Isabella could potentially lose her best friend.

Needing to talk to her best friend even if it's just to leave a message she picked up the phone and dialed her number. After it rang a couple of times and she heard the best thing in the world she heard the word "_Izzy_?"

Estefania had picked up her phone.

Isabella was so excited "_Oh my God Essie, you answered your phone. Are you OK, when are you coming back? I miss you so much._"

Estefania answered "_Izzy, yes I'm ok and I don't know if I'll be coming back any time soon. We're leaving tomorrow for my favorite place but you know that I can't call you from there. Which is why I answered your call tonight and I miss you too. I only have a few minutes but how are things? Did you meet up with Carlos and Lester at the club tonight? "_

Isabella "_Yes we met up with them and I have to tell you something that I don't think you're going to like."_

Estefania said "_What is it?" _

Isabella took a deep breath and said "_I think Diego might be planning to cheat on you. I wasn't sure if I was going to tell you or not but the girl that Carlos brought to the club started talking crap about you and after Carlos told her off Diego started dancing with her based on the premise of trying to get her to understand you better so she will like you. But Essie, he was dancing really close to her and the two of them were flirting a lot with each other."_

Carlos up in the front hearing Isabella asked her "_Can I speak to her?"_

Isabella said "_I'm so sorry to be the one to tell you that but on the up side there's a guy here that has a note that he hasn't read yet but wants to talk to you. Do you want to talk to him?" _

Estefania sighed and said "_OK_." Isabella handed him the phone and he said "_Hi, Babe_."

Estefania smiled and said "_Hello Carlos_." Carlos said "_You left me and for the record I didn't know she was going to be a major bitch about you when I invited her to come with me and for the record that was the only reason that I was glad you weren't there tonight_."

Estefania replied "_I know and I'm sorry, I wasn't really given a choice. They just came and got me. Look I told Izzy I only had a few minutes to talk so I really have to go. I'm really shouldn't be using my phone right now, but something told me that I had to take her call. Please tell Isabella not to worry about what Diego is doing, it will all work out in the end and tell her that I'll explain what I meant by that whenever I get back. Again I'm so sorry I couldn't be there. Please read my note, I hoping that will clear up some things with us as well. I've really got to go. Bye."_

And before he could respond the line was disconnected.

He handed the phone back to Isabella and said "_She said she had to go but told me to tell you not to worry about what Diego was doing. She promised that she'd explain everything when she gets back."_

She took her phone and then nodded her head feeling relieved that she had told Estefania what was going on.

They had finally got to Carlos and Lester's house and they brought Isabella in. Lester told her that she could borrow one of his shirts to sleep in if she wanted and that she could take his room and he'd sleep on the couch.

She was grateful and gladly accepted. He walked her into his room and showed him where everything was.

While they were in Lester's room Carlos went into his room, laid down on his bed, took the note out of his pocket. He looked at it, thinking that ever since Isabella had handed it to him that he had been very curious about what it said.

He unfolded it and then read it.

_Dear Carlos,_

_I know that you were expecting to see me tonight and I'm sorry that I wasn't able to make it, apparently there's some family business that needs to be handled regarding some type of emergency and when that happens my Papi doesn't like to take chances with me so he whisks me away, so I don't know what's going on and that I'm not involved in any way. _

_He always gets so overprotective of me, so who knows what it could be about this time. One time when I was little someone tried to talk to me while I was at the playground by myself. I quickly removed from the playground and whisked away for 2 weeks before they realized that the guy was an uncle of one of my friends and was just trying to ask me how I was. That's how crazy he gets._

_Anyway, I'm really sorry for how I acted on Monday, when I got angry with you. After talking it over with a very wise old man (My Papi) I now understand what I was feeling was a bit of jealousy. I've never experienced that before not even with Diego and I didn't quite understand what I was going on at the time. I just knew that the thought of you bringing a date to meet me had made me upset but at the same time made me mad. It was confusing for me._

_I know I have no right to feel that way, since I am with Diego, but if I'm really trying to be honest with you and myself, I don't know if I've ever felt the way about him like I think I'm starting to feel about you. I think with Diego it's just the way that it's always been. I've known him since I was 4 and he's kind of always been there. _

_I know that I'm young and naïve regarding a lot of things because I've lived a somewhat sheltered life but I can't help but wonder if there's more to life than just what's familiar. _

_I hope by me telling you all of this that it doesn't ruin our friendship, because that is the last thing that I ever wanted to do. _

_I hope that I'll be home soon and that we are still friends when I do get back. Tell Lester I'll miss him._

_I'll miss you too._

_Estefania_

Carlos folded up the note and put it in his nightstand. With a small smile on his face and thoughts of Estefania in his mind he quickly fell asleep.


	17. Horrible New and Turmoil and Decisions

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

**Authors Note: **

Thank you all for your reviews, comments, favorites and follows and your continued support. You really have no idea how much I really do appreciate it. It means the world to me.

Thank you also for hanging in there with me, RL has been crazy I recently got a promotion at my job but they still expect me to do my old job as well so I've kinda been swamped with that.

*****Warning*****

Another reason it's taken so long is because I've struggled with this chapter. There are hints to torture and some horrific things that happens and I've gone back and forth in regards to how far I should go and what I should include.***

I hope it's not too much and you are able to enjoy this chapter. It is a necessary part of the story line.

**Washington DC – Getting Horrible News**

**The Wednesday Evening after the Club**

Cmdr Franklin was sitting at his desk finishing up some paperwork so he could call it a day when his SAT phone rang.

He wasn't sure who was calling since he wasn't expecting a call from either Carlos or Avi, but he decided it would be best to answer it any way so he picked it up and answered it.

He listened very carefully to what the person on the other end of the phone had to say. After he had listened for a while and they had finished he was not very happy. What he had heard had been very upsetting and it made him very angry. He tried to argue with the person on the phone because he didn't want to believe what they were saying.

When the person argued back telling him that what he was saying was truth and then he put the final nail in the coffin when the person on the phone asked the Cmdr what reason did he have to lie to him. The Cmdr agreed and their conversation continued for a little longer.

After the call ended the Cmdr slammed the phone down and picked up the closest thing to him, which happened to be his stapler. He threw it across the room screaming, he felt a little of the tension leave him when it slammed into the wall it broke into several different pieces.

After a few minutes he was finally able to calm down some and get his thoughts straight. He started thinking that the shit has definitely hit the fan and he didn't like it at all. He didn't understand how anyone had found out about them or figure it out enough to get to them.

He knew all those years ago when it had first happened that if the opportunity came up for him rectify the situation that he would jump all over it, because he thought that it would have been the right thing to do.

He also knew that when he finally got the chance to start snooping around again that this could end up being a risky mission and had the potential of being a complete disaster but he thought that they had taken every step to keep something like this from happening, but clearly they hadn't done enough.

He was starting to think that it wasn't worth the possibility of there being any more casualties and maybe he should just call them and make them come back home and leave it alone. His pride and ego be damned.

This was his biggest fear when he first thought about this mission and how all of this shit that happened would all be for nothing because she might not even want to leave and come back where she belongs.

But after getting that phone call he had a new fear because the worst possible scenario has changed, now it was the possibility of his boys getting caught. He was thinking about everything that could happen to them and it was making him sick to his stomach. He now knew what could happen to them and the different ways that they could be tortured and left to die.

Then he had another thought and that was he knew his boys loved what they did and were two of the best and they took a lot of pride in their work. So before he could make this decision he needed to speak to them and tell them everything that's happened.

This recent development means that it's their lives that could be in grave danger and it's only fair that they get to make the choice of whether they want to continue with the mission or just drop it and head home.

He sighed as he looked over at the clock that hung on the wall to see what time it was. He noticed that it should be late enough that they should be done with their classes for the day and should either be already home or just getting home, so it would be a good time to call them.

He picked up his SAT phone and hit the speed dial number that he for them and then listened to the phone ring for a couple of times.

Carlos finally picked up the phone and said "Sir."

The Cmdr said "Carlos, how are you?"

Carlos replied "I'm good sir, what's up?"

He said "I have some news that I need to share with the two of you and then we need to have a discussion about where we want to go from here. If Santos isn't near you then you need to go get him so he can be a part of this conversation."

Carlos said "Just a second sir." Then he heard him calling for Lester and then Lester running into the room.

Carlos stated "He's here now sir and and I'm putting it on the speaker."

The Cmdr replied "Good, I just received a phone call with some very disturbing news."

Carlos started to have a sinking feeling and quickly said "Is everything OK, sir?"

The Cmdr said "No it's not and this is going to be one of the hardest conversations that I've ever had to have."

Carlos said "What's happened sir?"

The Cmdr sighed and said "OK the best way to say it is to just act like it's a band-aid and rip it off, so here it goes. Sometime late Sunday night or very early Monday morning Avi's house was set on fire and burned completely to the ground."

The Cmdr hesitated for a second but continued "The reports that have been received determined that whoever did this started the fire in the middle of the living room with some type accelerate that was sprayed all over the inside of the house so that it would spread fast and completely burn the house down leaving nothing but the ashes before anybody could do anything."

Carlos and Lester both sucked in a breath and Lester said "Holy Shit, do they have any idea who did it and what about Avi and his son were they in the house?"

The Cmdr said "From what I heard the reports don't have a clue as to who did this and it also specified that there were no human remains found in the house or anywhere on the property. So it's presumed that they were away or out of the home when it happened. "

He paused for a second and then continued "When the authorities were writing the report they started talking to the neighbors that were in the neighborhood. There was one particular neighbor that stated in the past week and half there were a number of men that stayed at Avi's house. She claimed that at the most there were 4 guys that were there at various times but that there were always two of them there at all the time. She described the guys as the big bulky type but said they were very loud and inconsiderate. She only mentioned that part because they were always coming and going throughout all hours of the day and night. They didn't care about anyone else because they were always really loud."

He stopped for a moment to see if either of them wanted to ask any questions but when they stayed silent he continued "Then the neighbor mentioned that she noticed that on this past Thursday morning Avi's son came home from the University, which she found odd because she knew that his classes weren't over and usually he was a real stickler for going to school and getting good grades. He was trying to better himself. Once he got there she said that all of them going in and out of the house pretty much stopped. Then on Saturday night she stated that she noticed them leaving because she when outside because of how obnoxious some of them were being. She said they sounded really drunk and were being really loud which made some of the neighborhood dogs bark nonstop for about an hour. She then went on to say that there were 6 people that walked out of the house and got into a huge black SUV. She did say that Avi and his son were with them because she saw some of the other guys holding them up and helping them walk. "

Carlos quietly said "Fuck!" and then in a voice that was just a tad louder he asked "Have they located their bodies yet?"

The Cmdr cleared his throat trying to gather his thoughts before saying "Yes, they finally found their bodies earlier today. The person that called me is a mutual contact of Avi's and mine. Avi had contacted about a week before all of this happened because he felt like something was off. He told our contact that he thought he was being followed and that he knew something really bad was going to happen. Avi told him that if anything happened to him or his family to immediately call me because we were working on something together and what was probably going on had to do with it."

He took a deep breath and continued "After he had found out about Avi's house burning down he managed to get a hold of someone and contacted them about getting a copy of the official report regarding the fire and then that same person contacted him after they found the bodies and gave him a copy of the official report of that. He received it right before he called me. He gave me a brief description of what had happened with the fire and what happened to Avi and his son. He also gave me some in site as to where they were found and what the condition of the bodies were in when they were found."

Lester asked "Where were they found and what happened to them? Were they able to determine who did all of this?"

The Cmdr replied "I can only to tell you what I know right now, which isn't a whole lot because I don't have the complete report yet. I was told that the condition in which the bodies were found was pretty much indescribable. They were found in an old warehouse that is used by the local fishermen to hold their equipment after they get back from being on the water. As far as the authorities are concerned they are saying that there aren't any clues as to who could have done either crime. Which we both know is a load of crap because I'm pretty sure everyone knows who did it. I tried to voice my opinion to my contact and he basically said that even if it was him it wouldn't matter since it's been deemed there were no clues found and they can't find anyone who is willing to talk, nothing can be verified."

Carlos said "You think that it was Jimenez's and his men don't you?"

Carlos and Lester got really quiet waiting for the Cmdr to answer and when he finally did he replied "Yes, but like I said there's no way that we can prove it and now is it seems that he's done a disappearing act again making it even harder to pin it on him. Trying to find anyone may have witnessed it and would be willing to talk to tie this to him or any of his men will be pretty much impossible. If we try to put any pressure on the authorities for them to take a closer look at him or his organization would look extremely suspicious and could potentially put the two of you in a very dangerous situation, if you aren't in one already."

Carlos questioned "What do you mean sir?"

The Cmdr replied "What it all boils down to is what Avi or his son could have possibly told them. I know you boys too every precaution in regards to keeping your real identities a secret but all of that could change now because we don't know what Avi or his son could have told them. There is a huge chance that your covers have already been blown. Do you remember what I told you about the condition in which they were found, well I'm pretty sure they were asked questions in regards to what they were doing or who they were working with. I say this with a heavy heart but I don't know that if I would have been able to withstand what they went through without talking."

Lester started to get concerned so he said "What the hell had happened to them."

Taking a deep breath he continued "Here's what I know, once my contact heard about Avi's house being burned down and that no one was inside, he started trying to locate Avi. He knew that a few years ago Avi had a chip implanted under his skin. This made finding him easier than if they had to search everywhere for him."

He took a deep breath and continued "When general area that he was in was located my contact then called his team in. They decided that it would be best to call the authorities. Once the police got to them and my contact explained things and they all started searching until they found the bodies."

Taking a second to gain his composure he said "It was a good thing that Avi was chipped because that was the only way he was able to be identified. It is just an assumption that his son is the other body. It wasn't hard to tell that they had been brutally tortured and then murdered. However, the cops downplayed what they saw and decided that this was pretty much a fishing accident and closed the case."

Carlos was outraged and said "Are fucking kidding me, if they could tell that they had been tortured and killed then why the hell would they consider it a fishing accident?"

The Cmdr said "Because whoever did this made sure that their message was received loud and clear to anyone that either came across them or found them. They were the example for all to see regarding what happens to someone who gets too close to people that they shouldn't be."

He continued with "The cops around that area aren't stupid and they know who truly controls things and there is no one that will challenge him."

He breathed in and then continued "If you really want to know what happened to them in detail and I really think that you should because you need to know what you are up against and exactly what type of man that you are dealing with. I should be receiving the full report from my contact in the next few hours and I can fax it to you."

Lester trying to keep his anger at bay said "To be honest with you sir, I would love to see those reports so that that I know exactly what those son of bitches did to them, so when I get the chance to see them I can repay them and do the same things to them that they did to Avi and his son."

Carlos said "We'd appreciate it if you would sir, because I absolute agree with Lester regarding meeting up with those bastards."

The Cmdr said "I know that you are already thinking about getting revenge but you need to understand somethings and you need to think long and hard about how you want to proceed with it once you get those reports later. Things could get really dicey for you two and your lives could end up in real danger if you decide to pursue this. Keep in mind that there are only 2 of you and he has a whole Army full of people at his beckon call and they won't mind doing to you what they did to Avi and his son, no matter who you are friends with. If it they feel you are a threat to the family they will do whatever it takes to makes sure that the two of you are taken care of."

He continued by saying "So I suggest you take the next couple of days and really take the time to think about everything that you've learned and decide if this job is worth your lives, because I'm going to tell you I don't think it is."

Carlos was about to speak up when the Cmdr stopped him by continuing "I feel this has gotten way too dangerous and you two haven't been able to speak to Stephanie and figured out what's going on with her or even want she wants to do once she finds out."

Carlos responded "You're right and on top of it we can't even talk to her right now because she's disappeared as well. We found out when we went to that club on Saturday night. We were supposed to meet up with her and when we got there her best friend and boyfriend told us that on Thursday morning Estefania's bodyguards came over and said that was a family emergency. They told her that she needed to go home ASAP and then she packed her stuff and left with them. Her best friend said they had no clue what was going on other than she left and said she hoped she would be back soon, but she did mention that it wasn't due to any type of medical emergency."

The Cmdr said "Well isn't that interesting."

Carlos said "Yeah but it makes sense that when he disappeared he would take her with him, especially if he thought that there was any type of danger to her. She was always saying how overprotective he is when it comes to her, which was one of the reasons that he demanded to meet us. So here's what we are going to do, we promise to take your advice and once we've read over the report, we'll take a couple of days to decide what we want to do and how we want to handle things. One of the biggest reasons I'm agreeing to do this is because you're right, what just happened was totally unexpected and it was something that none of us would ever anticipate to happen."

The Cmdr said "Thank you Carlos. I'm glad that you agreed to that and I will fax you the report as soon as I get it. Is there anything else?"

Carlos and Lester both said "No sir." and then the Cmdr hung up the phone.

**Universidad de Los Andes –Merida Venezuela**** – Turmoil and Tough Decisions**

Carlos looked at the Sat phone to make sure that the call had been disconnected before he threw it on the bed and yelled "Fuck!"

He rubbed his hand over his face and said "What the hell am I supposed to do and where do I go from here?"

Looking confused Lester said "What are you talking about, man?"

Carlos sighed and walked slowly over to his nightstand and opened the top drawer and pulled out something from it.

He handed it to Lester and said "I wasn't planning on showing it to anyone, but I think you need to see it and so you really know what's going on."

Lester looked at it and noticed it was a really worn piece of paper that was folded. He carefully unfolded it and started to read it.

After Lester was finished he looked at Carlos and said "Holy shit dude, this is seriously messed up. How do you feel about her? I mean I know that you get somewhat jealous when she talks about her boyfriend but I thought that was just for show."

Carlos said "Yes, I do have a clue on how messed up this is, trust me that's all I've thought about since I got that letter. As far as what my feelings are for her, if I'm being perfectly honest, I think I might be falling in love with her."

Lester shook his head and said "Carlos, there is no way that this would ever work. You know that right?"

Carlos took his hands away from his face and glared at Lester and said "You don't think I don't fucking know that this may never work and I tried not to let my feelings towards her get to me, I really did. Because you and I both know that in our line of work that letting your feelings get to you will get you killed quickly, but no matter how hard I tried to ignore it she found a way to sneak her way into my heart and I just can't help it."

Then Carlos sighed and said "You want to know the biggest thing that's so fucked up about this whole situation? I've even thought about this to the point that if she didn't want to come back to the US with me, that maybe I would stay here and be with her. I don't know if I could stand to be away from her."

Lester screamed at him "Have you lost your freaking mind? You're actually serious about this. If she doesn't want to go back home, you are willing to stay here. You know that if her father ever finds out the truth about who you are or what you were doing here that he'd have you killed on the spot, regardless of her possible feelings for you?"

Carlos nodded his head and said "Yes, I know that he would. I would have to make sure he never found out."

Lester argued back "Umm dumbass. What part of the phrase HE WILL KILL YOU do you not understand? And do you think you would do give everything up that you have and throw away your entire life just to stay here with her."

Carlos sighed and said "I know that none of this makes any sense and I'm terrified about what it all means. I know I have to make a decision, but this is really tough and this just doesn't affect me this affects her as well.

Lester was frustrated beyond belief and looked him dead in the eyes and said "Maybe after we get this report and you've had a chance to read it and you see what kind of father she has and that will help you make the right decision."

Lester threw the note on the bed and then he stormed out of Carlos' room.

Carlos just sat on the bed and picked up the note and stared blankly at it, he didn't need to read it anymore he had already it memorized. After staring at it for little bit he folded it back up and put it back in the drawer.

He lay down on his bed and started to wonder about how his life had gotten so fucked up.

After that Lester and Carlos decided to avoid each other for a while, with Carlos staying in his room and Lester sitting on the couch in the living room and watching TV.

A few hours later a beep sounded indicating that a fax was coming in.

Lester got up from the couch and walked over to the machine and waited until all the pages had printed out. He picked up all the pages and started reading them.

After Lester had gotten through a few pages Carlos walked up and stood beside him.

When he had gotten to a particular part Lester let out a low whistle. Carlos just raised his eyebrow at him and Lester ignoring him just shook his head.

Once Lester was finished reading the report he to all the pages and straightened them up. He looked over at Carlos and said "I'm not sure you want to read this, but then maybe it would be beneficial for you considering the circumstances."

Carlos said "Why do you say that?"

Lester angrily waving the papers in front of Carlos and replied "Because this shows you exactly the type of man that Osvaldo really is and what he is capable of doing or what he can have his people do. It would also do you good to remember that all Avi did was take pictures of her and his son only talked to her once. They were not dating or living with or loving his daughter. You DO NOT want to have this man a part in your daily life."

Carlos just stared at him in disbelief. He'd never seen Lester this pissed off before. He knew that whatever was in that report must be really bad. He almost didn't want to read it, but he knew he had to.

So Carlos put his hand out for Lester to hand him the report so that he could see for himself just how bad it was.

Lester put the report in Carlos' hands and then started to walk away and then turned around and said quietly "I'll be in the garage."

Carlos nodded his head and sat down at the small desk and started to read the report.

He looked down at the first page and it saw these words:

**The Official Report in the Avi and Santiago Gutierrez Case **

He flipped that page over and saw on the next page:

**This File Contains the Findings in Regards to Avi and Santiago Gutierrez's House Burning Down and Their Deaths**

Carlos read over the next few pages as it detailed everything that the Cmdr had told them in regards to the house burning down as well as some new information. It had described what accelerates had been used and then went on to describe in great detail some things that were quite disturbing.

That made Carlos pause to stop and think about what type of people these men really were. It honestly made him question himself whether he wanted to continue reading the report or not. If they could be that heartless in regards to animals, then what they might have done to Avi and Santiago would be ten times worse. He was honestly questioning their sanity at this point and he was just getting started.

He decided that it would be best to go ahead and finish reading it so he could get it over with.

He skimmed the rest of the pages that pertained to the house and then got to the page that started with their deaths.

He took a deep breath and started reading the pages very carefully and slowly. He wanted to read it word for word.

Once he had finished reading the entire report the only thing that he could do was to just sit there in disbelief.

He had been captured by what he thought were some of the cruelest men in the world and they had tortured him, but after reading that he decided that what he had gone through was nothing compared to what Osvaldo's men had done to Avi and his son.

One of the questions that he was asking himself was did Osvaldo have a hand in this himself by telling his men what to do or were his men acting of their own accord. No matter the answer he knew that whoever did this they were some sick and twisted individuals.

He also decided that with this knowledge he could totally see Osvaldo orchestrating Estefania's death the way it had appeared to have happened.

He thought about what Lester said about being nuts for thinking about staying here and after reading the report he knew that it wouldn't be in his best interest to stay. It's pretty clear that if by some chance Osvaldo ever found out who or what he was, then Osvaldo wouldn't hesitate to kill him or have him killed and it would be with no questions being asked.

He wondered if he got the chance to talk to Estefania and explain to her what type of man that Osvaldo was, would she believe him and if she did would she be willing to leave. He wondered if Osvaldo would let her go or would he try to keep her locked up and not let her escape.

He decided that no matter what he needed to talk to her and he wasn't going anywhere until he got that chance. He didn't know what her reaction would be but he knew that he needed to tell her the whole truth.

The best case scenario would if he could convince her to come back to the states with him. One thing he needed to make sure of was to be careful with what he does when it comes to her because Carlos now knows that at the first sign of trouble Osvaldo will have no problem with whisking her away and keep her hidden until he deems it's safe to return.

He yelled for Lester to come back in his room.

Once Lester appeared he said "I've read the entire report and I know what I want to do and what needs to be done."

Lester lifted his eyebrow at him, urging him to continue, so Carlos said "I need to wait until she comes back, I have to talk to her and explain to her what's happened and who Osvaldo really is. I can't in good faith leave her with that monster. I have to let her know what he's capable of doing or at least what his men are capable of doing."

Lester nodded his head in understanding and said "OK, then we will stay here until she gets back and you have a chance to talk to her but you have to abide by whatever she says and if she determines that you are wrong and doesn't believe you then we leave. Agreed?"

Carlos looked at him and said "You do know that you don't have to stay with me, right? You are free to go home."

Lester said "Oh no, I'm not leaving your sorry ass here and have to explain to Tia Maria and Tio Ricardo what happened to you. They would both smack me upside the head and demand that I come right back here and drag your dumbass home."

Carlos laughed and then he put his head down and quietly said "You're right and I agree with what you said, if she doesn't believe me or doesn't want to leave then we'll leave and head home."

Lester walked into Carlos' room and grabbed the Sat phone. He figured that the Cmdr was probably still reading and dissecting the report just like they had done and that he would still be available.

He walked in front of Carlos and handed him the phone and said "You're in charge so you're the one to tell the Cmdr what you decided."

Carlos picked up the phone and punched the speed dial button then as it was ringing he put the speaker on.

The Cmdr answered within 2 rings and said "I was expecting your call."

Carlos said "Yes sir, I imagine that you were."

The Cmdr said "So what have you boys decided to do?"

Carlos was about to answer when Lester stepped up and said "Sir, we have decided to stay and complete the mission."

The Cmdr seemed shocked and said "Are you really serious?"

Carlos replied saying "Yes sir. What Lester is saying is that we are going to try to complete our mission. We decided that we are going to stay until Estefania comes home and we've had a chance to see her. My intention is to get her alone so that I can speak to her in private. We have some things that we need to clear up and some of those things includes telling her exactly who we are and why we are here and what type of man that Osvaldo really is."

The Cmdr replied "Are you sure that's a good idea, what if she decides that you are lying and then ends up telling him. He'll come after you or send some of his goons after you to kill you?"

Carlos said "That's a very real possibility sir, but you should know that Lester and I have made a pact that no matter what happens whether she believes us and wants to come back with us or if she doesn't believe us and wants to stay, we will have a plane that will be leaving within the hour of that conversation. Either way he wouldn't really have time react."

The Cmdr said "So you have thought about this and have some type of plan in action. I'm glad, but the threat is still very real, you know he has people that can move from country to country and he still may come after you."

Lester spoke up and said "Yes sir, we are very well aware of what his people can do but we will take every precaution, even if that means we have to disappear ourselves for a while."

The Cmdr said "Very good then, it sounds like you have thought about everything very carefully. Is there anything else that we need to discuss?"

Carlos and Lester both said "No sir" at the same time and then the call was disconnected.

Carlos looked over at Lester and said "I really appreciate you sticking this out with me."

Lester nodded his head and said "Anytime man, I've always got your back."

Carlos said "Thanks man, now we just have to hope that Estefania comes home soon, I don't want to be here any longer than we have to be."

Lester shook his head in agreement.

They stood up from the table and went their separate ways. They each wanted to think in private so they could decide what they wanted to do while they were waiting for Estefania to come home, both of them hoping that it would be really soon.

**Tia – Aunt; Tio – Uncle**

**If anyone is interested in hearing the gory details of the report I can absolutely create one, but keep in mind that sometimes I can go into a very dark place which is why I didn't really want to add it to this chapter. **

**It is absolutely not needed for the story line. **


	18. On Jimenez Island

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

**Authors Note: **

Thank you all for your reviews, comments, favorites and follows and your continued support. You really have no idea how much I really do appreciate it. It means the world to me.

Thank you also for hanging in there with me, I don't really have any good reasons other than RL going on. I'm hoping to start updating semi regularly now that things are somewhat settled for me.Sorry this isn't as long as my normal ones but I wanted to get it out to you and it seemed like a good place to stop the chapter.

**Again thanks for all your support.**

Spanish conversations are italicized.

**On The Jimenez Island**

**A Little Over a month after Estefania and Osvaldo Disappeared: **

Estefania was sitting on the beach with her legs pulled up into her staring out at the water lost in her own thoughts, so much so that she didn't notice that someone was yelling her name or when they sat down next to her mimicking her position.

After he sat down Osvaldo gently nudged his shoulder against hers and asked "_My princess, what's weighing so heavy on your mind_?"

She jumped a little getting startled out of her thoughts. She turned her head to look at him and smiled. Then she leaned her head against his shoulder, sighed and replied "_Just thinking about home_."

He wrapped his arm around her pulling her side so she was a little close to him and kissed the top of her head.

He said "_I've been thinking about that too. Estefania, I believe, it's finally time that you and I had that discussion about what's been going on_."

She said sadly "_Do we really have to_?"

He replied "_Yes, I decided when we first got here not to pressure you and let you come to me, but you haven't so far and if I know you, you've been trying to avoid it. Now we are getting closer to the point where we will be able to go home and I need you to tell me what's been going on_."

She sighed but before she could say anything, he continued "_I've heard some stories from both Tomas and Franco concerning your relationship with Diego and it has me worried. Now I need for you to tell me the truth about what's really going on_."

She let out a small nervous laugh and said "_You know if it wasn't for the fact that I know they are concerned and that's why they said something I'd call them both nosy bodies and yell at them. Sometimes they can really be pains in the butt_."

She paused to see if he would say something about her calling them nosy bodies and pains but he just sat there and waited for her to continue, so she sighed and said "_First I'm going to start out and say I'm pretty sure I know what they told you and why it bothered so much. I'm sorry they made you worry and I know that you're hurt that I didn't tell you anything but if I'm being totally honest they don't know everything that's been going on either. I know it's time for me to tell you truth about it all, so I'm going to tell you everything."_

He nodded his head and quietly said "_Thank you."_

She left her head sitting on his shoulder and said "_Just remember that everything I tell you at this point may not even matter because I'm not sure if things will be the same after we get home. Before you say anything I know I wasn't supposed to talk to anyone after I left the University but Izzy called me the night before we left to come here and I answered the phone._"

She paused and raised her head to look at him while she waited for him to react. He finally looked down at her and angrily said "_I told you not to answer your phone, in fact it should have been turned off. We've talked about how people can track us by our phones_."

She moved her head down so she was looking at her lap and said "_I know and I'm really sorry but I forgot to turn it off and when it rang and I saw that it was her I felt that I needed to answer it. Like something was going on and she had to tell me_."

Understanding how she gets those feelings about things he just nodded his head and said "_Continue."_

She lifted her head back up and looked him in the eye and said "_Izzy said she thought Diego was going to cheat on me that night. She said that my friend Carlos brought a date and she seemed real interested in me but then started cutting me down and then according to her after Carlos stood up for me Diego took a big interest in the girl. I told her that I was OK and that I didn't know if it mattered anymore_."

She broke down and started to cry a little "_I lied to her because it does hurt. Even with everything that's happened. I thought I was in love with him and I was willing to overlook some things, but with this it's like he betrayed me. How could he do that to me? I know that I've been hanging out with Carlos and that I know there are feelings for him that I'm trying to figure out, but I could have never done anything like he did to make it seem like I would cheat. I wouldn't ever do that to Diego no matter what's going on_."

She calmed down some and continued "_I know Diego cares about me in some way. We've known each other and have been together for far too long for him not to_."

Osvaldo interrupted and said "_I'm sure he does, my dear. Do you think Isabella was possibly mistaken_?"

She shook her head and said "_No, I know that she was telling the truth. Carlos was with her and she handed him the phone when he asked to talk to me. He told me the same thing and he apologized to me. He actually said that was the only reason he was glad that I wasn't there._"

Osvaldo asked curiously "_Why was Carlos with Isabella_?"

Estefania thought about it, shrugged her shoulders and said "_I'm not really sure, neither one said what was else was going on beside that girl with Diego. Although, I didn't ask either and then I told them that I couldn't talk and had to go. They could have still been at the club._"

Then she took a deep breath and continued "_Like I said what happened at the club hurts but it doesn't surprise me. I've been seeing changes in Diego the past couple of months. It's become more about the power that he thinks he's entitled to by being connected to me than anything else. People tell me that even when I'm not around he pretty much demands and expects the same treatment that I get. I've heard that he yells at those who don't give him what he wants and says that if he they don't give it to him that he's going to have you take care of them_. _I'm told that when he does that he usually gets what he wants because no one wants to cross you._"

She hesitated for a second then continued "_But that's not all of it. Things have also changed between us. When we're at home he constantly talks about us getting married and what it should be like and who should be invited. He talks about how both are families can't wait for it to happen and says over and over how we shouldn't make anyone wait anymore and how he wants to do it within the year. When I mention that I won't be done with school he says that doesn't matter because once we're married my job will to be to cater to him_."

She gave a little laugh and said "_Then he starts with how once we're married you are going to bring him into the business and take him under your wing. Since he'll be your son-in-law and family, you'll have him learn every aspect of it and completely involved in everything. He's fully expects that when you are ready to retire that you will automatically name him as your successor_."

Osvaldo told her "_I'm not sure if you are aware of this or not but he's been trying to talk me into letting him into my____business since he was like 10 and even __**IF**__ the you of two get married I would never allow him to be a part of it, let alone leave it for him to run. You do know that right?_"

She smiled and said "_Yeah I know that but he doesn't. He can get delusional sometimes_."

Then quietly added "_Especially when he starts drinking too much, then he tries to take what he thinks he deserves or is entitled to_."

Osvaldo didn't like how that sounded so he quickly turned Estefania's around so she was facing him and held her face in his hands so she had no choice but to look at him.

He growled and said "_What do you mean by that Estefania_?"

Understanding what he was asking she got very serious and she said "_N_o_ Papi, he never took, you know, advantage of me in that way. At least it hadn't come to that yet, but he was starting to apply a lot of pressure to me wanting me to do that but I kept telling him that wasn't ready yet._"

She gently moved his hands and then turned away from him and made him put his legs down and then climbed in his lap like she used to do when she was little. If she was going to tell him everything then she was going to need his strength surrounding her.

She took a deep breath and continued with what she was saying "_Sometimes when we'd be in one of our rooms kissing and such, he'd try to take it further and I'd tell him that I didn't want to. He'd get mad at me and yell at me about how it was our right to be together like that. Then he'd say how I should be the proper wife to him and give him what he wants. When I would remind him that I wasn't his wife yet, he'd huff and say that it would only be a matter of time and that I should get use to obeying him now."_

He pulled his arms tighter around her, not liking where this was going.

She let out a breath and continued by saying_ "The worse of it started happening when Carlos and I became friends. He didn't like that and a few times he got really drunk and pulled me into his room. He'd demand that we have sex. He'd say that if I wouldn't do it out of duty as his wife then it should because as your son-in-law it was his job to impregnate me so that he could provide you with a family heir. When I'd still say no is his temper mixed with the alcohol would get the best of him and he'd get really angry. Those were the times that I'd just agree with him and then tell him I had to go to the bathroom real quick. Once I left the room I'd run straight out of the house to Tomas and Franco's house and stay there until the morning. When I would go back home, he'd never remember what happened and I wouldn't dare say anything."_

With anger in his voice said "_Why didn't Tomas and Franco ever do or say anything about this?"_

She turned around wrapped her arms around him and then kissed his cheek and said _"They never knew because I never told them what happened. I'm sure they often wondered why I would just show up really late and stay the night there but they never asked why. They did always ask me if I was OK."_

She knew that once they found out what was going on they would be mad at her for never telling them about it but them not knowing was better for everyone at the time.

He held her tighter and then kissed the top of her head and said "Oh m_y princess I'm sorry you had to go through that let alone do it by yourself. I wish you would have said something, we would have never allowed that kind of behavior to continue and I for one would have made sure that he would never have touched you or came near you again. You know that the boys are going to be furious when they find out_."

She nodded her head and said "_I know that Papi, but I didn't want anyone to know. I never even told Izzy and I normally tell her everything. One because he's her brother and even with what he did it was manageable for the most part and his outbursts weren't too often."_

Then she turned around to look out to the ocean, she saw a dolphin jump and she gave a small smile and said "_When Carlos and his cousin started coming around things and Diego saw them he would try to pull his macho act on them, but they weren't afraid of him like all the others so they didn't back down and I know that bothered him. He didn't like that Carlos and I became fast friends and liked hanging out together. Diego thought that Carlos was only out to break us up. He thought Carlos wanted to claim me as his, so he could to take his spot in your business that Diego always thought belonged to him_."

Osvaldo took Estefania's hand and she turned her head to look at him and he asked "_What do you think about Carlos and his cousin_?"

Estefania sighed and said "_Honestly, I don't know. I don't get a bad vibe from them and I feel that they both have good souls but I'm kind of scared of Carlos_."

Osvaldo asked "_Why are you scared, do you think he would hurt you_?"

She laughed really loud and he smiled to see her lighten up a little.

Then she said "_No, I'm not scared of him hurting me, I'm scared because like I said I feel things for him that I never felt for anyone else and I don't know how to handle it or where to go from here. I don't even know if he even would be interested in being with me or how I would even handle things with Diego to break up with him_."

Osvaldo leaned down and kissed the top of his daughter's head and said "_Don't you worry about Diego. I'll take care of him, but as far as Carlos goes you need to talk to him and honestly tell him how you feel_."

She looked up at him and said "_How will you take care of Diego_?"

He quickly said "_You were always a curious child that asked too many questions. Don't worry your beautiful head about it, OK?_"

Knowing she wasn't going to get any answers she just nodded her head and she scooted off his lap and over to his side so they were back to their original positions when he first sat down beside her.

Then she turned to look at him and said "_Papi I wasn't sure that I ever wanted to go home and that's really what I was thinking when you first sat down beside me but now I think I'm ready to go home now. I have a few people I need to talk. How soon do you think we'll be able to go home_?"

He laughed at her and said "_A little anxious my princess_?" She nodded her head and he said "_Hopefully it will be as soon as next week, but I'll know more after my call tomorrow morning. Now I think that it's time for us to head back into the house because you have a lot of explaining to do to two certain people and it's almost dinner time_."

Understanding that he meant that she needed to talk to Tomas and Franco she just nodded her head.

Then Osvaldo stood up and reached his hand out to her to help her up which she immediately grabbed. Once she was standing she moved to him and gave him a big hug which he returned. After she stepped away from him she grabbed his hand again and they walked up the path towards the house.


	19. Preparing to Finally Head Home

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and the original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

Authors Note:

Thank you all for your reviews, comments, favorites and follows and your continued support. You really have no idea how much I really do appreciate it. It means the world to me.

Thank you also for hanging in there with me, I don't really have any good reasons other than RL going on. Sorry this isn't as long as my normal ones but I wanted to get it out to you and it seemed like a good place to stop the chapter, the good news is the next chapter is half done and I'm hoping to have it up by next week.

Again thanks for all your support.

At this point unless otherwise noted all conversations are in Spanish.

**Still on the Jimenez Island**

As they were making their way up the beach back towards the house, Osvaldo started to realize that once they got back home he wouldn't be ready to let Estefania go yet. He knew asking her to stay would be best because she didn't like being bossed around. However, if she didn't agree then he knew he wasn't above making her deals and offering her whatever she wanted to get her to stay.

He needed her close because he thought that he had failed her.

Before they got to the house he came to an abrupt stop, which in turn made her stop as well. He looked down at her and said "I know I don't have any right to ask you this but would you mind not going back to the University yet and staying at the house for a few more weeks after we get home? I don't think I'm quite ready to let you out of my site."

She paused and looked up at him and saw how serious he was. She thought about it and realized that just because she was grown that he was always there for her to protect her. She saw on his face what a toll this was taking on him and how it hurt him that he hadn't had the ability to stop it.

She said "No I don't mind" and then added "I was thinking about staying home for a little bit as well. I don't think I'm quite ready to go back there yet and I'm definitely worried about having to see Diego again. I'm not sure what will happen."

He nodded his head in understanding but then said "As much as it makes me happy that you agreed to stay. You also need to remember that this thing with Diego is something that will need to be addressed."

She looked down understanding what he was saying and then nodded her head.

Knowing that he needed to lighten things up he gave a small laughed and said "However, once we get inside and you tell Tomas and Franco everything you just told me, you might think about changing your mind." Then he gave her a lopsided smile and continued "and since you've already agreed so I won't let you back out."

They both laughed knowing that he was probably right.

When they finally walked into the house, she figured the best thing to do would to just get it over with, so she yelled for Tomas and Franco. They quickly came running worried something might have happened. She assured them that everything was OK and then told them that she needed to talk to them and if could go in the living room and sit down and talk. They quickly agreed and found their seats. She sat on the lounge chair that was across from the sofa that Franco and Tomas were sitting on. Osvaldo was standing behind Estefania giving her support.

Seeing the stance that Osvaldo was taking, Tomas and Franco got very curious as to what their little Estefania was getting ready to tell them.

Putting them out of their misery she told them about what had been going on with her and what had happened in the past couple of months.

After she was done, she could see the anger in their eyes and the way that their jaws were set. She knew that they did not like what she had said at all.

She knew they were furious but she wasn't afraid of them, but she didn't like it when they were mad at her either. That was almost as bad as her Papi being mad at her.

Franco took deep breathe and was the first to speak as he said "I think I speak for Tomas when I say that while we are upset with you, we are more disappointed that you didn't think that you could come to us and trust us with what you were going through."

She nodded her head and said "I understand."

Tomas spoke up before anyone else could say anything more and angrily said "I'm not just upset with you, I'm furious. How could you possibly think that Diego's behavior was appropriate? What's worse is you didn't really do anything to stop it, just made excuses for it. I know you are better than to just accept it and I know for a fact that you have been taught better than that."

Tears started to fall from her eyes knowing that not only was he right about everything but also how much she had disappointed him.

She opened her mouth to answer him but before she could get anything out, he had already seen her face and had quickly moved so he was in front of her and kneeling down staring her in the face.

Seeing him in front of her, she immediately put her head down. He put his finger under her chin and brought her head up so that she had no other choice but to look in his eyes.

In a softer voice he said "Hey, no crying you know I can't stand it when you cry." Then he added "I may be upset and mad but you have to see things from my side. It feels like you didn't trust us enough to help you out of this and you should have. You know that I love you and no matter what I am always here for you. You should never feel embarrassed or ashamed enough that you don't think you can talk to me. That's why I reacted the way I did."

He reached for her and brought her in for a hug and then held on tight as he said "Remember I've been here from the very beginning and you are mine to protect and I can't do that if you don't tell me things like this."

He felt her nod her head against his shoulder.

He pulled away from her so he could look her in the eyes again and continued to say "but the biggest thing you need to understand above all else is that right now my true anger is towards Diego. For him to even think that he could get away with treating you that way. He had to of known that if we ever found out that this isn't something that we would tolerate. He had to know that he wouldn't get away with hurting you. He's been around this family long enough to understand that there are some things that will not be allowed and this is definitely one of them."

She tried to talk to them saying that she could still deal with him after she went back to the University, but they wouldn't listen. They told her that she had been able to do things her way and that didn't work so now it was time to do things their way.

She finally gave up trying to convince them otherwise and answered any other questions that they had. After about an hour of going over everything she had finally had enough, so she stopped talking and stood up.

She walked up to each of the three men gave them a hug and kiss told them she was tired and was going to bed.

Then she walked away towards the stairs.

Once she was upstairs and completely out of listening range, Osvaldo told them that Estefania has agreed to stay home for a few weeks before returning to the University and they must come up with a plan on how to handle things during that time, so she won't know.

The other two men agreed and they started planning on how things would go once they got home.

They figured out when the best time to go up there would be, but they had to be careful making sure Estefania didn't suspect anything. They each wanted to have several different conversations with a certain young man, but they also wanted to do at least meeting with him together.

They knew by the time they were done with him that there would be no question as to what they considered the proper way to treat a young lady, especially their young lady.

**Preparing to Go Home**

A couple of days after the big talk, Osvaldo was finally able to get in touch with his people and was assured that everything was ready for their return and everything that needed to be done was complete and that it was absolutely safe for them to return as well. He thanked them for their attention to the matter and informed them that they would be flying out the next morning and to make sure that everyone was ready for them to return.

Osvaldo had decided that he had wanted a runway built at the end of his compound so without Estefania, Franco, and Tomas knowing, he had it built while they were away.

It had been something that he's wanted to do for years and had been unable to get it done due to restrictions, but he had finally greased enough palms to get permission to get it. Now he could come and go as he pleases and not have to worry about other planes or anything else getting in his way.

Once he had finally hung up he went in search of the other 3 to give them the news about being able to go home and when they would be traveling.

He found them in the kitchen leaning against the breakfast bar eating a snack. They were laughing and joking with each other, he was glad that the other day's tension was gone.

He leaned up against the inside of the doorway and said "I have some news."

They lifted their heads up to look over at him and he continued "I just got off the phone and found out that everything is good and we are able to go back home, so tomorrow morning we will be heading out."

They all smiled showing how happy they were to hear that.

Estefania not sure if he would answer her question or not quietly asked "Papi, do you think that it would be okay if I called Izzy right now and let her know that I'm coming home, but that I won't be returning to school for a while?"

Osvaldo looked at his daughter and could see how much she really missed her best friend said "Yes, you can call her but with one condition. She can't tell anyone, especially Diego that we are coming home. If she agrees to that then you can let her know."

She jumped out of her seat, ran up to him and kissed him on the cheek and turned and quickly went up the stairs yelling "Thank you!" behind her.

The 3 men looked at each other and started laughing. They were all thinking the same thing, that no matter how many times they've yelled at her for running in the house that when she gets excited even as an adult she was still doing it.

Walking into her room she looked around and started thinking about this room and her one at home.

She had always felt that this was a nice room and had liked it, but she definitely preferred her room at home and home for her was always her Papi's house. That was the only home she's ever known or at least the only one that she could remember.

Sometimes like now she would let her thoughts carry her away to the past every once in a great while. She would try to remember what her old family was like. Even after all the years that have passed, it seemed weird to her that she couldn't recall what they looked like or what life was like with them.

She sometimes wondered if it was because so much time had passed that she truly couldn't remember them or if it was because she was feeling like it was some type of betrayal to her Papi.

She knew how much he loved her and wanted the best for her no matter what, which brought her thoughts back to the room she was staring at now.

She knew it was designed to be more or less pretty simple and had stayed the same throughout the years. It was a room more for convenience unlike her room at home. She had always been encouraged to make any changes to her room that she wanted and to not worry about what the cost was. Which meant it changed on her whim not someone else's.

No matter what though she also knew that it didn't matter how old she got, her room would always be waiting for her. It was one of the few places that she felt safe and knew that nothing bad could ever touch her there.

Thinking about her room and all the staff members that would be there when she got home started to get her excited and happy because she couldn't wait to see them.

Which brought her back to the reason she came up here in the first place, to call Izzy and let her know she was coming home, she walked over to her nightstand and opened the top drawer.

She had put in nightstand because she was told when she was younger that she couldn't use it while she was here on the island. Something to do with people being able to track it and not wanting them to find us, which was why she was surprised that her Papi let her use it this time.

She had picked it up and turned it on. Waiting for it to boot up and cycle through the startup, it started dinging indicating that she had many different types of messages.

After it was finally done she looked at the screen and saw that she had 25 text messages and 10 voice mails.

Seeing that they were from Diego she decided to start flipping through the text messages real quick. She noticed that at first they were nice. Asking her when she was coming back and letting her know that he missed her and loved her but then they started to get mean. Demanding to know when she was coming home or telling her that she needed come home immediately and how she couldn't hide from him and she needed to know her place.

She stopped looking at them and decided that she didn't even want to listen to the voice mails. She figured with how insistent her Papi, Tomas and Franco had been about wanting to know everything when it comes to her and Diego, it would be better to let them listen to them first.

If she was being totally honest with herself, she really didn't want to hear them anyway, especially if they were anything like some of the text messages.

She shook her head to clear it real quick and then looked at the time on her phone. Since she hadn't really looked at the time in a while she wanted to make sure that it wasn't too late to call her, since there was a small time difference from where she was to where Izzy was.

Seeing that it should be good she quickly sent a text to Izzy that said: R u alone? If not let me know when u r so I can call u real quick.

She started to worry when she didn't get an answer right away but then after a few minutes her phone finally dinged and she got a response. When she looked at the message it said: I am now, so u can call me.

So Estefania pressed the send button and called Izzy's number.

Izzy picked up and excitedly whispered said "Essie is that really you? Are you home?"

Essie laughed feeling happy to hear her best friend's voice and said "Yes, it's really me and before I can answer your second question, I need for you to promise me that no matter what you can't say anything to anyone about what we talk about. You have to swear that you won't say anything not even to Diego."

Izzy replied "I swear, I promise I won't tell anyone, especially not Diego. He's being a real asshole right now and I don't talk to him. You know you can trust me."

Estefania replied "I know I can, but that was the one condition that I was given when I asked if I could call you. So you know I had to double check."

Izzy hesitantly said "OK…"

Estefania said "I know that I'm not usually allowed to call, so when I was given permission that was the condition. Papi doesn't want a lot of people to know but we're coming back tomorrow."

Again Izzy said "OK?"

Hearing the question in her friend's voice Estefania said "Look I know that you are confused right now but please don't tell anyone about us coming home, especially Diego."

Izzy said "Essie what's going on? You're scaring me."

Estefania replied "There's somethings that have happened and I think the only reason that Papi allowed me to call you is so that I could let you know that I'm OK and that I'm coming home but also that I won't be going back to school for a while. Like I said something has happened and Papi is pretty much making me stay home. He says that it would make him feel better and more comfortable if I was with him so that he could keep an eye on me."

Izzy responded "What happened? Are you OK? Are you hurt? Did this happen while you were away?"

Estefania replied "Breathe Izzy, I'm fine. It was something that happened before we left but please don't ask me to tell you. I'm OK really and I honestly used to think that it wasn't a big deal" then added "but some disagreed with me and I'm starting to think they are right."

Shocked by what Estefania had just said and knowing that whatever this was happened before she disappeared and knowing that the two of them pretty much told each other everything, Izzy came to the conclusion that it must have something to do with Diego and possibly explain why he's been the way he has been lately. She knew that Essie wouldn't want to put her in position to have to choose between her and her brother.

Following that logic Izzy simply said "OK I won't ask you what happened just as long as you promise me that you are really OK and that nobody hurt you."

Estefania said "I promise that I'm OK and I'm sorry to put you in this spot about being the only one that knows that we're coming home for right now. I promise that I'll make it up to you once everyone knows that I'm home. I'll also try to let you know once we land. If I'm able to I'll word it so if someone is being nosy they won't know what I'm talking about."

Izzy sighed knowing that Estefania was ending the conversation and she wasn't going to get any more information out of her than she just got said so she replied "OK… Be safe."

Estefania replied "Will do." And then she hung up the phone.

She sat on the bed and looked around the room again, still trying to determine if there was anything special here that she didn't think she could live without and wanted to take home with her.

Coming to the same realization that she had first most of the stuff here was pretty much ordinary and didn't really think that she'd use any of this at home.

All the clothes were usually shipped here for those "just in case we have to stay here" instances. so she decided she wouldn't take anything and leave it all here for the next time.

Sighing she knew with that decision made that it was time to go and show her Papi her phone and let them know about messages.


	20. Diego's Messages-Isabella & Carlos Talk

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a little bit.

**Authors Note: **

Thank you all for your reviews, comments, favorites and follows and your continued support. You really have no idea how much I really do appreciate it. It means the world to me.

Thank you also for hanging in there with me, had a bit of a writer's block. I think I may have finally had a break through.

**Again thanks for all your support.**

At this point unless otherwise noted all conversations are in Spanish.

**Diego's Messages**

After getting off the phone with Izzy, Estefania when downstairs so that she could tell her Papi, Tomas and Franco about all the text messages and voice mails that Diego's left for her. She didn't have any desire to listen to the voice messages because she was afraid of what he would have said.

She slowly made her way down the stairs because she was not looking forward to this conversation, at all. Even though they didn't discuss it around her she knew that her Papi and the guys would never accept Diego's behavior and that he was going to be in for a rude awakening once the talked to him.

Since was headed to them because she promised that she wouldn't hide anything anymore, so she headed to the kitchen where they were all still gathered around the island talking.

She stopped at the entry way and when they noticed her a few seconds later, they could tell that something was wrong.

Osvaldo quickly got up and pulled her into his arms and asked "What's wrong, my princess?"

She looked up at him and saw his eyes filled with concern and she tried to keep it together. Knowing that she was safe in his arms she let go and started to cry a little bit.

Osvaldo's arms closed tighter around her and he said "Please tell us what's going on."

Wrapping her arm around him tighter to her Papi she lifted her head and looked over at Tomas and Franco and said "Because I promised you I would tell you when something happened, there's something that I need to show you and have you to listen to. I realize now that it's time to finally admit that there is definitely a problem and I'm going to need all of you to help me get out of it."

They looked back at her and nodded their heads and motioned for her to continue, so she did "I'll start off with I talked to Izzy and she promised that she wouldn't say anything about us coming home and that I wasn't coming back to school right away. I didn't tell her what was going on but if I know her she probably suspects that Diego could be behind it and I'm not saying anything because I don't want to choose sides. This brings us to the problem that I need to talk to you all about."

Osvaldo said "What happened?"

She said "When I turned on my phone to call Izzy, my phone started going off with all the notifications of all the messages I got."

Thinking about it for a second she decided to just to let them see for themselves, so she handed her phone to her Papi and said "It would probably be easier for you to just see and hear for yourselves."

She opened the phone for them and then said "There are 25 text messages most of which I've read. However, after the first 10 I just got tired of him pretty much saying the same thing over and over. There are also 10 voice mails, which I decided that I didn't want to listen to. For having to read the text messages was bad enough."

Osvaldo pushed the icon for text messages and her list of text messages that she's gotten popped up.

Osvaldo looked at it and seeing that Diego's name was at that top of the list clicked the messages open. He started scrolling through them and it was clear by the look on his face that he didn't like what he was reading.

He put his arm down and then walked them both over to Kitchen Island where Tomas and Franco were at and laid down the phone in front of him. He pulled up Diego's messages.

Before he got halfway through them he decided that he either needed to read them out loud or pass the phone to the others so they could read them separately.

Figuring out that if he decided to pass it around the ones who had already read them would just get madder and madder as they saw the other person's reaction to them and that wouldn't do anyone any good.

So he cleared his throat. He said "I think it's best if I read these out loud instead of passing the phone around. Everyone needs to hear them together and at the same time."

They all nodded their heads in understanding.

Osvaldo said "Here it goes: The first one says "Baby, when are you coming back home? I miss you already." Then "Baby… Please call me. I need to hear your voice, I miss it." His next text says "I hope you are missing me as much as I miss you and then he continues being nice with his next two "I miss you baby, I really just want to hold you." And then "When are you coming home, I miss you so much. I want to be able hold you and kiss you."

Osvaldo pauses and takes a deep breath and says "This is where things start going downhill, I'm going to warn you now these get pretty ugly. Diego starts the next one "STOP BEING A BITCH AND IGNORING ME!" and then "I'm over this shit Estefania, this is getting really old." The next one continues on the same path with "BITCH CALL ME BACK!" and then he accuses her in the next one "I bet you're still talking to Carlos and Lester and ignoring me, your actual boyfriend? You know what that makes you right?" Then he says "Estefania, I swear to God if you don't answer me, I'll be madder than you've ever seen me and you remember how that worked out last time, right?""

Osvaldo tried to continue reading the next ones but before he could continue, Tomas yelled "Stop!"

Osvaldo turned towards Tomas wanting to give him a questioning look but Tomas wasn't looking at him, all of his focus was on Estefania. His gaze was directed towards her as he maintained eye contact with her. His eyes showed that he did not like what he just heard and in a stern voice he said "Estefania, what did he mean by the last two? When he talks about what that makes you and asking you to remember how that worked out the last time?"

She quickly looked down breaking eye contact with him and said "Well the first one is in regards to Carlos and Lester, he thinks that the only reason they want to hang out with me is so that I'll eventually have sex with them. He thinks that they are pressuring me and one day I'll finally give in to them. He tells me that when I finally let that happen, it will mark me as a whore and a slut, since I'm refusing to do it with him and he's my boyfriend."

All three men gasped as she said that but then she continued "The text about me remembering the last time, he's referring to happened right before we left. He was really drunk and being mean and hateful. He didn't hit me, but he did come really close to it. I was able to get away from him and lock myself in my room until he passed out."

They all stared at her waiting for her to them the complete story about what had happened in full detail.

She sighed and said "We were in the living room fighting about what had become his favorite subject lately, Carlos and Lester. He hates it when I talk to or see them, hell he hates it when anyone mentions them. It doesn't usually get out of hand, but this time it was like something snapped inside of him. I was trying to talk him about Izzy, him and I getting together with the guys at the club so he could finally meet them and see that nothing was going on between us except for friendship. Heck I even told him that they were bringing dates. I figured if he met them it would ease some of the hatred he had towards them, but of course as usual he didn't listen to anything I had to say and turned into something more than it was."

She finally looked up and saw the concern on all their faces but knew she needed to continue "He started ranting and raving about everything at that point. Even started bringing up some of the older fights we had about even if it didn't involve them. He just kept working himself into a real frenzy and then got really mean and nasty. He moved towards me getting closer and he had a crazy look in his eyes and I was actually afraid of him and was scared that he was going to hurt me. Remembering what you all at taught me, when he got just close enough I kneed him in his balls and ran off into my room. He tried to follow me but thanks to the nut replacement I gave him and you three making sure my door was pretty much indestructible, he wasn't able to bust down my door and get anywhere near me. After a little bit he just decided to leave me alone and went into his own room."

When she had finished Osvaldo set the phone on the counter, he was done and didn't want to read anymore. He knew they had already decided to deal with Diego once they got home just for the stuff he had already done, of course now they would add all of this into it as well.

He saw how upset everything going on was making Estefania and it hurt him, he move closer to her and put his arm around her and whispered to her "Come on my princess, let's go outside. I don't want either of us to look at anymore texts and I know that I absolutely do not want to listen to the voice mails. It won't do any of us any good and the only thing it will accomplish is to upset you even more than you already are and infuriate me even more than I already am and honestly at this point he's just not worth it."

She put her arm around him and nodded her head, as he started to move them away from the kitchen island.

He looked over at Tomas and Franco and said "If you want to read the rest of those and then listen to all the voice mails, then that's up to you, you heard what her password was. Right now, however, I'm going to take my daughter outside so we can rest and forget about all of this for the rest of the evening.

And with saying that he tucked up Estefania under his arm securely as he opened the glass doors and walked her out to the patio where guided her to one of the lounge chairs.

He sat down but kept her in his arms and held her like he used to do when she was little girl. They stay that way long enough to watch the sun go down together, just enjoying the peace before they have to go back to reality tomorrow.

Tomas and Franco decided that Osvaldo was right and they didn't want to read or listen to any more either. They didn't want to interrupt the father/daughter bonding that was going on outside, so they moved to the living room. They decided to start strategizing what they were going to do to Diego.

After a couple of hours they decided to go to bed after all they did have an early flight that they had to catch tomorrow morning.

**Isabella Explains How Things Work to Carlos**

Isabella walked into her next class knowing that there was a good chance that Estefania would text her any minute and say that she was finally home, which she was excited about. However, this was the class that she shared with Carlos and she was at little scared that he would see it. He'd ask questions about it and she really wasn't sure how to answer them. Considering she wasn't very good at lying and he would pick up on that and then question her more.

She found her normal seat and sat down. She was contemplating about turning her phone off but as she was staring down at her phone, she heard a noise and looked up and saw Carlos walking towards her and getting ready to sit down in his seat that was next to her. Ever since Estefania left they had been sitting next to each other, before since she was in the same class the both sat on either side of her.

He looked down at her and laughed a little and said "Hey! You're looking like a space cadet there, is everything OK?"

He tilted his head waiting for her to answer but when she looked up at him getting ready to answer him, her phone started to vibrate.

Feeling it vibrate brought her back to reality and she thought of course it would go off when he showed up. The two of them seemed to have some sort of strange connection.

She looked back down to her phone but she didn't recognize the number, but she had a feeling she knew who it was. Isabella was smart enough to know that Estefania would probably use someone's phone that way if anyone was near her they wouldn't know it was her.

The text message said: **OMG! Crazy man built a runway of my own! So I'm at my house… LOL! **

Not meaning to she laughed out loud, making Carlos ask "Want to share the joke?"

She quickly sent a reply back letting her know that she got the message and then looked up at Carlos and smiled. She was about to shake her head at his question but then she thought about it.

Isabella thought that she was pretty much convinced that what was going on and why Estefania was being so secretive had something to do with Diego. She didn't come right out and say it and probably wouldn't but if it did then maybe it wouldn't hurt telling Carlos. He might be able to help to protect her. She would just have to make sure that she conveyed to Carlos how serious this was and make him promise that he wouldn't tell anyone.

Deciding to go with that she said "Look, I really shouldn't be saying anything to about this but I feel like it would be best if I did. If I tell you but it can't be here though, we'll have to be somewhere that no one can hear us. That and class is getting ready to start and I really need to pay attention since Essie isn't here for me to cheat off of."

He nodded his head and said "I'm free after class and we can find somewhere to talk that's quiet." She nodded her head and then turned her head so she could start paying attention to the professor.

After what seemed like forever the class finally ended. When they walked out together out of the room together Carlos pulled Isabella over to one of the benches and said quietly "Is this good?"

She got really nervous and shook her head as she said "No we can't sit here because there's no privacy and we can't really go back to my house. Maybe we should just forget the whole thing. I shouldn't have said anything anyway." And she started to walk away.

Carlos quickly caught up to her and grabbed her arm and quietly said "You're the one who brought it up to me first so it must be important. If you really need for no one to be around we can go back to my house. It will be more comfortable and Lester has late classes, so he won't be there."

She agreed and they headed to Carlos and Lester's house.

Carlos opened the door and guided her to the couch and asked "Do you want anything to drink?"

Isabella said "Sure, water would be good."

He said "OK, no problem."

As Carlos walked in to the kitchen he made sure Isabella wasn't watching him when he picked up a little key fob and hit a button on it. He took it in the kitchen and set it on the counter out of site.

This would allow him to record the entire house. He knew that if she ever found out it would break her trust in him but he felt that she might tell him something that they would be able to use and in the end it would be worth any damage that was done.

He grabbed 2 water bottles out of the fridge and walked out of the kitchen, he handed one to her and sat on the chair that was facing across from her with his own bottle.

She looked at the water and then looked at him and said "I was sworn to secrecy and promised that wouldn't say anything and if anyone found out that I told you it would make several people very unhappy with me. You cannot repeat anything that I say right now to anyone, not even Lester. I'm going to be honest with you, if you can't promise that to me then this was a waste and I need to leave right now."

Carlos quickly said "I promise not to say anything. You're starting to worry me, what's going on?"

Isabella said "The text I got earlier was from Estefania telling me that she was home."

He got really excited and said "That's awesome! When is she coming back to school?"

She put her head down knowing he wasn't going to like the answer and said "She's not, at least not right now?"

He quickly moved to sit next to where she was at on the couch and said "What why not?"

She looked at him and said "There's somethings going on, but I'll explain all of that later, for now this is what her text said." She pulled her phone up so he could see what it.

He looked down at it and then back to her and said "Why did she contact you with a different number and what does she mean?"

She looked at him and said "She probably figured that someone would be around me and didn't want them to know it was her."

He nodded his head as if he understood and made sense.

Then Isabella laughed said "And as far as what she meant, she thinks her Papi is crazy because while they were gone he had someone build a runway somewhere on their property. Knowing him, he probably did it so they didn't have to fly in and out of a real airport. It usually takes them a couple of hours to either get to the airport or to get home. Driving long distances when she's with him makes him insane. He doesn't feel like he can properly protect her when they are on the road, too many different variables can happen. At least that's what both of them have always said."

She took a breath and said "So anyway he built a runway. Although he probably didn't just build a runway like she said, I'm betting that he had a small airport built and he probably named it after her, which is why she called it her runway."

He gave her a questioning look and said "OK I don't understand how he would be able to put a runway on his property let alone a small airport. There's no way he would be able to have it built legally that quick?"

She took a breath and looked him in the eyes and said "Look there are somethings that you need to know about how the Jimenez's live, especially if you plan on being a part of Estefania's life. I understand you like her but you need to know all of the facts and decide how much you are willing to go through before you can fully decide that you want to be a part of her life. I love Estefania like a sister but there is no way I could deal with everything that she has to, what I go through just being her best friend is almost too much for me."

He nodded his head so she would continue.

She took a breath and she said "Let me start off by telling you the normal every day stuff that happens in the Jimenez world. I call it that because when it's the two of them everyone pretty much bows down to them and moves out of the way like it is their world."

She waited for a reaction from him and when she didn't one she continued "Remember, I told you about the first time we met them and what she did at dinner, well let me tell you the first time I was invited to her house and actually went over there, I was shocked. To start off the sheer size of the outside had me awe struck, but then I went inside it was even more amazing and spectacular. I don't have to remind you the first time I saw it I was 4. However, even now when I go there sometimes when I see something that has been updated or added on I still get amazed all over again. The house is like a castle, no a palace. Hell I don't know it's just really freaking big and beautiful."

Carlos gave her a look and said "Why would he change it or add on to it, if the house is already amazing?"

She laughed and said "There are only two reasons why that man does anything period, and both of them revolve around Estefania. He wants to do something for her or she wants to change something."

He just looked at her a little funny but she continued "OK so you already know that Papi is a very powerful and rich man. He's very well known in all of Venezuela and South America. To be honest, I've even heard stories that he might be well known all over the world, but I don't know for sure."

Then she said "You've seen first-hand what type of treatment that she gets when she goes out. Like that time at the restaurant. It's like that all the time and most of the time it really bothers and embarrasses Estefania. She hates to be the center of attention and as much as she tell everyone that she doesn't like it and doesn't want it, it doesn't stop her Papi from putting her in it and showing her off. He tries to explain that it's because he loves her so much and is so proud of her that he just can't help it and wants to show off to the world his only daughter."

She knew that she couldn't stop now so she said continued with "His special name for her is Mi Princesa or as you know My Princess and he treats and spoils her like she is one. I can honestly tell you that in all the years that I've known her I've never once heard him tell her no, she gets whatever she wants and when she wants it. And because he can he throws her over the top extravagant birthday parties, graduation parties and even BBQ's just because he can. He invites everyone to come and share in the celebration just so there's no question what she means to him. He has dignitaries come from all over South America. Even farther I've heard but again I'm not sure."

She took a breath and said "She has many bodyguards that not only protect her but treat her like a niece. I mean these harden men that are trained to kill, melt like butter when it comes to her and they love to spoil her. She had a nanny growing up and has always had housekeepers and chef's to do anything for her whenever she wants."

She stopped for a second and sighed before she continued "That's the glamorous part of it and although she knows that all of them love her, there is more to it."

She turned away from him and stared at the blank TV and said "She gets everything her heart desires and everything is handed to her but she has to live in a world with very strict rules regarding what she can do as well as who she can see. She lives with people who pretty much watch her every move. There is no way I would want to deal with what she has to go through. I'm lucky because I can just go home, which is nowhere near as nice as what hers is, but I don't have eyes on me all the time. Even as an adult she's still never fully alone."

He said "What do you mean by they watch her every move, why would they do that?"

She looked back at him and said "Osvaldo and his men are fiercely overprotective of her and can be overbearing sometimes. God help anybody that might hurt her or cause her harm. That's why she's so used to leaving because at the first sign of trouble she's gone. If Osvaldo isn't the one to handle whatever the trouble is then you can damn sure guarantee that there are at least 10 of her "uncles" who will take care of it. Which is why I am worried."

He asked "Why are you worried?"

She said "Apparently there's some really serious shit going down here at school in regards to her and even though she's back at home she won't be coming back to school for a while. I'm even surprised he let come home. The only thing I can think of is he came home to take care of it. Papi has her on lock down and she's not allowed to have outside communication with anyone and she can't leave the property. She was told not to tell anyone she was coming home. When she brought up telling me he refused at first but she argued with him and finally got permission to call me before they left and to only text me when she got home."

Before he could say anything she held her hand up and said "Don't ask, because I don't know and she wouldn't tell me what was going on. She did promise me that she was okay. She just wouldn't let on about what was happening. What's weird is that I have a feeling that my brother is somehow involved but I don't know what he could have done wrong. I haven't seen or heard him do anything out of the ordinary and I know he's been trying to talk to her."

Carlos was concerned by what she said and it showed in his voice when he asked "Why do you think he's involved?"

She smiled thinking that she really did do the right thing by opening up to Carlos about all of this and said "I'm only guessing at this point because it just doesn't make sense why she wouldn't tell me what was going on. We've told each other everything since we were 4 but if this was about him then she wouldn't tell me. She would want to save my feelings from whatever it is but also she wouldn't want to put me in the middle of it all. That's the only thing that I can think that would make any sense to me."

She took a deep breath and said "And I'm worried that if this whole thing does involve Diego, his life may be in danger. He may be an asshole but he's my brother and I love him. I don't want anything bad to happen to him."

Carlos nodded his head. He decided to change the subject back to Estefania's protected life, maybe he would be able to get some details that he'd be able to share and would be able to somehow get to her.

So he said "So tell me is there more to her than just these crazy men that protect her or have you pretty much covered everything that you needed to go over?"

She smiled at him and said "Oh, there's more. The over-protectiveness isn't just with the men that are around her, it's every aspect of her life. That includes where she lives both houses. The house we live in here on campus is completely guarded with an alarm system and her room is basically a safe room. If she goes in there and locks her door there's no getting to her, no matter what."

She continued by saying "But the main house and the property it's something that's right out of the movies. The whole thing is probably the size of our entire campus including the neighborhoods that our houses are on, but it's all enclosed by this huge wall. There's only one way to get in or out unless you travel by boat, well plane now as well. The property is right by the ocean. The main house is right off the beach, because that's where Estefania is the happiest. She has always loved the beach."

She smiled like she was reliving a memory but then shook her head and said "There are guards stationed all around the property and they are constantly walking around checking everything. There's a guard shack at the front of the gate where it opens that has a really big and mean looking guard sitting in it. He watches everything as well as inspects everyone and everything that comes down the road and turns into the property."

She got up and started pacing and had a serious look on her face and said "I remember this one time when I was about 8, my family and I were pulled up to the guard shack. There was no one there so we had to wait a few minutes. Which we thought was strange, but the gate was closed so we couldn't have gone in if we wanted to. All of sudden guards started running everywhere and there were gun shots that rang out. They ran passed us and motioned for us to stay in the car. They had stopped by this car that we saw when we came down the road, but since it hadn't moved and it didn't look like anyone was in it my dad didn't seem too concerned and told us not to worry about it. Well after they had stopped we all turned around watching what was going on, one of the guards spotted us and made his way back over to the shack and let us in as quickly as he good. To the point of rushing us, we didn't understand it at the moment but understood as soon as we passed the gates and they closed because a few seconds later we heard a huge explosion."

She took a breath and continued "We never knew what happened and honestly I think my parents wanted to know, I know I didn't. I was too young to know what was going on but once thing we knew was things could get dangerous around the Jimenez house. Diego was the only one who was excited about it though, but my father quickly told him never to mention it and to mind his own business. I think that was how my dad justified being friends with them. What they did when we couldn't see wasn't our business."

Then she laughed and added "Estefania being who she was had nicknamed it the compound and was constantly complaining about the limitations. I remember the first time Papi heard her call it that we were about 10. He didn't get mad, he just laughed and then simply said that the property was built the way it was because it has one job and that was to guard the most precious thing to him in the world and needs to make sure that she's well protected. Of course he was talking about Estefania."

Carlos looked at her and said "Wow that sounds crazy and to think that she had to go through all of that. But I even so I would still want to be there for her and help her any way I could."

Isabella nodded her head and said "That's why I wanted you to know everything so you could decide if you actually want to be around all that. I just wish we knew when everything would blow over so that we could see her again"

Carlos quickly asked "Do you think that maybe they would let you go and see her? If so then maybe you see if that would let you bring me as well?"

He was thinking that if he could slip in and tell Estefania what she needed to know, than it would be easy to slip either both of him or just himself out since Osvaldo would be preoccupied with whatever is going on with her now. Although if it was really Diego he' hoped that he would get his turn before they took off.

He was brought out of his thoughts when Isabella yelled "You are a genius, since she can't come out maybe I can go see her. I've always been able to see her before when she was on lock down. Of course it's never been this bad before. I could just say that I was visiting my parents. Oh and I'll check to see if you can come too?"

Carlos just smiled and said "That would be awesome."

He might have just figured out a way to get in he, now the hard part would be finding a way out with her.


	21. Catching Up with The Plums

All the familiar characters belong to J.E. However the story line and original characters are mine. I don't own them and I'm not making any money from them, I'm just playing with them for a while.

**Authors Note: **

Thank you all for your reviews, comments, favorites and follows and your continued support. You really have no idea how much I really do appreciate it. It does means the world to me.

Thank you also for hanging in there with me, and thanks to all of those that have PM'd me asking me if I was continuing, I absolutely am. I took some time out to be an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) reviewer for some authors, because as much as I love to write, I love to read as well. But I've decided to cut back on that and focus on writing again. Even been tossing around writing a book of my own :)

I had hope to get this out before the New Year but I didn't quite make it. I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season. I know I did.

**I figured it was time to hear from the Plums again, hope you enjoy it :)**

**Catching Up with the Plums**

**Frank:**

Frank was sitting in his chair in the living room quietly watching Valerie's two girls playing with their dolls. Angie being 4 and the oldest was explaining to Mary Alice who was 2 how to properly play with her dolls. How she should care for them and act like they are babies and not all crazy by making them jump off of things or liked prance around like they are horses.

He found it fascinating how much each child resembled his own kids when they were that age. Angie was exactly like Valerie making sure that she did everything like she was supposed and being all prim and proper. As well as making sure everything was in its correct place and nice and neat. With Mary Alice acting exactly like Stephanie did at her age, being carefree and not worried about anything. Having that I can do anything attitude and not worried about what anyone else thinks. Both his granddaughters being completely different from each other just like his daughters were.

With that thought he suddenly froze and then just stared at them. The memories flashed in his head and he realized that Angie was now the exact the same age that Stephanie was when she was kidnapped.

It got him thinking more about Stephanie and then he lowered his head as he remembered that today actually marks the 16th anniversary of the day that they said Stephanie died in that horrific accident with the plane.

His next thought was that he knew that he would be the only one in the house that would even remember or think about it, let alone say anything about it. His wife and daughter stopped talking or thinking about Stephanie after they had passed the 5th anniversary of her death and agreed to go to counseling, which only lasted for a few months before they thought that it was better to pretend that she never existed and that she was ever a part of their family.

It hurt him to think about how they reacted like that, but he knew when they ended up taking down all of her pictures that had been hanging on the walls and boxed up everything that was hers and either give it all away or store it someplace where it could hidden and never looked at again. They truly pushed her out of their heads and their hearts.

They didn't even tell him where they had put the stuff because they were afraid he'd drag it all back out, which he probably would have done.

Mary Alice screaming at Angie brought him from his thoughts and bringing him back from those memories. Staring at the girls he felt this great sadness come over him, because he knew that they would never know that they had an Aunt Stephanie, let alone know anything about her.

He was pretty sure that if Mary Alice had ever been given the chance she would love to hear about some of the things that Stephanie used to try to do and how she would try to get away with whatever she could. He's thinks it would help her understand where she gets it from and then be happy to know that she wasn't alone.

He sighed and because he had figured out a long time ago that he would never really get completely over her death but having these two did help to ease some of the pain.

He thought about how Helen and Valerie stopped going to counseling because they just wanted to forget, but he didn't feel that way and he knew he needed it. He was able to determine through years of therapy that he could move forward with his life without the guilt of thinking this was his fault and missing her so much. He also learned that it's OK to still keep a piece of her in his mind and heart.

But even after all the years he still has his bad days especially ones like today when he starts thinking about her. The hardest thing is when he thinks about all of the things that he would never get the chance to do with her or for her. All the milestones that she should have been able to go through in her life but now never will. Everything that every little girl deserved to like going to her first day of school, or going to her high school homecoming or prom, to be able to walk across the stage on her graduation day and eventually him being able to walk her down the aisle when she get married or watch her family grow and being able to hold any of her children.

He sat in his chair with all these thoughts about Stephanie running through his mind while silently watching what the girls were doing, suddenly he began to feel boxed in and his heart starting racing and his head was hurting. It was all too much for him and he knew that he couldn't stay there.

He didn't think about what his next step was he had to get out of that house and get away. He stood up and yelled that he was leaving and then walked out the door without a backward glance. He heard Helen yell something at him and he thought she was trying to call him back but he didn't stop, he just kept on going.

He got in his car and starting it up and drove away. It did occur that he was driving to the same bar that he went to all those years ago until he got there.

He walked in and told the bartender to give him a shot of the strongest shit that he carried. He knew that alcohol didn't solve anything but right now he just couldn't help it. He needed something to make him feel so numb that he wouldn't feel anything. So the second that the bartender set the shot in front of him he downed it and then told the bartender to keep them coming and don't stop until he said.

That's when the bartender realized who he was and that he was serious, he knew that he couldn't in good conscience do what he was asking, so instead he gave him another one and then moved to the other side of the bar to make a phone call.

Frank realized what he was doing and figured that he was going to call Helen or a cab to come get him but after about 10 minutes he was really surprised when it was Joe who walked him and sat down beside him.

Joe looked at the bartender and said "Thanks for calling me" and then ordered two shots of their best whiskey.

The bartender looked at Joe and said "No problem Mr. Mayor. I'd do anything for you and your family." Then set the two whiskies in front of them and walked away to help some other customers.

Joe looked at him picked up his shot glass and simply said "To Stephanie." Frank picked up his glass and pointed to Frank's until he picked it up and then they tapped their glasses together and drank down the shots.

Without looking up at his best friend Frank said "How did you know why I was here?"

Joe had a small smile on his face and said "I know what today is, after all she was my God-Daughter."

Frank sighed and said "I guess if there was one person out there that would understand it would be you. It just got to be too much watching Valerie's girls play, which started me thinking about Stephanie and then when I realized what today was, I just had to get out of the house because I couldn't take it."

Joe nodded his head and said "Honestly, I've been waiting for this call. I figured sometime today it would hit your hard and you would wind up here."

Frank said "It all hit me at once while I was watching the girls play and it became too much for me to handle. So I ran and this is the place I landed. I can't believe it's been 16 years since she's been gone and I know this is going to sound totally insane but sometimes I get the feeling that she's still alive."

He sighed and said "I've never said that out loud before and I've never told anyone that, but it kind of felt good to say."

Joe nodded his head and added "You aren't alone. I can't tell you how many times that I've gone over the reports from the plane crash just to see if I could find something that didn't quite add up. I've even thought about calling the General just to talk to him about it and see if there were pieces missing."

Frank looked at Joe in shock, knowing that he was feeling some of the same things he was about her being alive.

The he looked over at Joe and said "What do you think, should we call him? I know he's still around but I hear he's getting ready to retire soon."

Joe put his arm around Frank and said "Why the hell not. What could it hurt?"

So they made plans to speak to the General the next day to question him and see if there had ever been more information that they had learned over the past years that wasn't shared with them.

With that out of the way Joe said "Let's get you out of here, so you can go home and be with your family."

Frank agreed and they got up and walked out of the bar. Joe drove him home with the promises of picking him up tomorrow so they could get his car and then do whatever they needed to get the answers that they wanted.

**Helen: **

Helen sighed when she heard Frank yell he was leaving. She tried yelling back at him but it just fell on deaf ears. Lately he hasn't really paid much attention to her or to anything else. If she was being honest with herself the only ones he's really does anything with are Angie and Mary Alice. It's like they are the only thing that keeps him going, before they came along he was also so sad and mopey. Of course she knew why.

And his outburst today, well in all honesty she had been expecting it and just waiting for when it would happen. Of course she knew what today was, how could she not remember what the today was. Even if she would never tell anyone else she would never forget the events that had taken on that dreadful day and honestly what parent could ever forget about their own child, especially one that had died so young when it had happened?

She always tried to make it seem like she had forgotten all about Stephanie because the pain was just so over bearing at times. That's why she had taken to drinking everyone once in a while but had increasingly gotten worse, it had helped to ease the pain she felt.

Her thoughts even now after all these years later went back to blaming herself for what happened. She's tried to hide it for years, but the "what ifs" constantly run through her head. What if she hadn't put her in her room, what if she had paid more attention to her, what if she had let Valerie take her outside, that was the one that scared her the most because then she thinks maybe both of them would have been taken and she could have lost both of them.

She noticed that Valerie was watching her and was wondering what was going on. Helen looked at her and said "He must have remembered about something he had to do."

Valerie nodded but then gave her mom a funny look. Valerie then shook her head and walked out of the kitchen to where her daughters were, leaving Helen by herself, alone with her thoughts.

Helen stopped mixing the vegetables that she was making to go with dinner, thinking since he left there's no telling when he'd be back so she turned off the burner. Then she walked over to the cabinet and pulled down her bottle of Jack Daniels. Thinking she'll just sit down for a few minutes.

She put her head down and let her mind wonder, something she hardly let herself do because every time she thought about Stephanie it broke her heart. As she took a sip out of the bottle she let the tears fall as she thought about her youngest daughter. She heard her granddaughters in the other room laughing and playing and thought about how much alike they are compared to their mother and her sister.

She always thought she had to be strong for everyone else, that's why she had boxed all of Stephanie's stuff up and either gave it away or like with the pictures she hid them in a place where no one would ever find them.

After her mother came and stayed with them for a little bit things seemed to get better but once she left then everyone went back to being empty shells. Helen thought it was best for them to heal if no one ever spoke her name so she had forbidden it. Valerie seemed to be on the same page as her, so the two of them felt it best to stop seeing the counselor. She sometimes thinks that it might have been a mistake to do that but then she's brought back to reality that here in the burg you don't do those sort of things and you suck it up and bury it deep down.

She always wonders how their lives would have turned out if she had lived, would she have continued to be a wild child and would she have been a wild teenager and an even wilder adult. She could picture how much heart ache that she would have caused her, she sighed just thinking about all the trouble that Stephanie could have gotten into through her life.

Of course every once in a great while there was this feeling deep in her heart that she thought she could still feel Stephanie and that she was still alive and hadn't died. Of course she knew that was impossible because Frank told her that he and Joe had seen the photos that the General showed them. He had made it seem like there was no way she could have ever survived.

She looked over at the clock and realized that she had been in the kitchen by herself for over an hour wallowing in her self-pity but now it was time get up and to once again push all of those thoughts of Stephanie back into the little box where she keeps them in her mind.

So she finished off her drink and went back to the stove and turned on the burner and finished making dinner, she didn't know when Frank would be back but she knew that she needed to have dinner ready when he did.

**Valerie:**

Valerie heard her dad yell that he was leaving. Then she looked over at her mom and saw the recognition on her face, it told her exactly why her dad left and why her mom didn't care. Her mom noticed that she was staring at her and come up with some excuse why her dad left instead of telling her the truth.

Valerie hated that her family could be so stupid some times. She thought about it and knew that of course they would all remember what today was, but no one would admit it to each other.

This was the day that had changed their whole damn lives. Not just her mom or her dad's but hers as well. She went from being an older sister to being an only child.

Being slightly disgusted by her mom's actions she did the only thing that she could do at that moment. She nodded her head and then got up and walked away. She felt that if her mom wanted to wallow in own self-pity then so be it, she could do it alone. Valerie would use this time to spend time with her girls, while they were waiting for dinner.

She thought about her girls, she loved them so much and there wasn't anything she wouldn't do for them, and spending extra time with them today would be helpful.

Sometimes it made her wonder about her mom and how easy it's seemed for her to just cast Stephanie aside and forget about her. It had made it seem like she had never loved her to begin with.

When she walked in, she had noticed that they had moved on from playing with their dolls to sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table coloring in their favorite coloring books.

When she sat on the couch they looked up and smiled at her. She smiled back at them and thought about the fact that they had no idea what was going on today and that made her sad.

Of course they wouldn't know why today was so important because she had never been allowed to tell them. Her mother had forbid it.

That brought back the memory of the conversation that the two of them had on the day that her and Steve announced that they were pregnant with Angie, she shivered just thinking about it. She couldn't believe how hateful that her mom had been.

She didn't even say congratulations to them before she grabbed Valerie by her arm and dragged her quickly out of the living room and into the kitchen while she was yelling behind her that they needed to get something from the kitchen to celebrate.

What Valerie didn't know was that what her mother really wanted was to speak to her privately and warn her that in no way shape or form that after the baby was born that she was ever to mention her sister to the baby and also that at no point in the child's life should they know anything about Stephanie. Valerie tried to argue but her mom reminded her that she was dead and no longer a part of this family and shouldn't be talked about.

She basically made Valerie promise that she'd never talk about her or she would disown her if she heard that she was even thinking about talking about Stephanie to the child.

Her mom had reminded her that there was a reason she had hidden everything a long time ago and didn't want this to bring up bad memories for her and wanted to make sure they were on the same page.

She told her that if she ever thought about trying to find any of it to show her child or any of her children that she would just burn it all and no one would have anything. Valerie thought about protesting because she didn't really think it was fair but she agreed with her mom and obeyed her and had never say a word.

Once Angie had been born she had kept her promise and never talked about Stephanie, even though sometimes she was very tempted to.

After a couple of years when her and Steve announced that she was pregnant again, while her mom was holding Angie she looked over at Valerie and gave her a very telling stare and she just nodded her head back acknowledging what she was trying to say. What she was alluding to of course was their prior conversation when she was pregnant with Angie.

Shaking her head of those moments she looked back at her girls and noticed that Angie of course was staying perfectly in the lines and Mary Alice was just following her own style and coloring where she liked.

As she watched them, she remembered how her and her sister used to sit there and color like her girls were doing now and that like Mary Alice, Stephanie used to color the same way. She remembered how much at the time that it used to drive her nuts the same way it does Angie now. About that time Angie looked at Mary Alice and yelled at her for drawing outside the lines.

She realized that her girls were so much like her and Stephanie when they were that age that it was scary.

Getting up and walking toward the front window she stood staring out to the neighborhood as she thought about how there were times when she was younger that she hated Stephanie because she had left her and made her an only child.

As she became an adult and started to mature she finally understood that this wasn't something that Stephanie had done and that she had died on purpose but sometimes she missed just having her sister to talk to.

She thought about that first year after Stephanie had died, the worst times were when people would stop and either stare at her or try to talk to her. They would look at her with pity in their eyes because she was the poor soul that had lost her sister to a horrible accident. If they dared to talk to her then it would be nothing but how sorry to hear what happened or what a tragic loss for you and your family or her favorite that she must be so torn up about losing her sister that way.

Because she was so young sometimes her temper would get the best of her and she wanted to yell at them that Stephanie deserved what she got because she did something she wasn't supposed to. However, she knew that her mom would have never accepted that or would even allow an outburst like that because she always had to be the proper young lady and do what I was supposed to and never speak out like that.

She turned around and walked back to the couch and sat down, she started watching them again and wondered how many times she wanted to try and speak to her mom about where she had hidden the pictures so that she could show them, but she had never found the courage to do it.

Sometimes she felt like she was cheating her own girls by not allowing them to get to know Stephanie, even though she was so young and didn't live long, it didn't seem fair to keep her away from them.

She knew that it would help Mary Alice to know that she wasn't the only black sheep of the family. Always trying to break free of all the rules and do her own thing, just like Stephanie used to.

It was times like these that she wished her sister was still alive and there were times when she thought that she could still feel her like she was alive but she knew that wasn't true.

She would sometimes wonder what kind of life that Stephanie would have lived because she knew would have been fun to watch her live her life being so carefree. Valerie was pretty sure that her mom would have hated what she would have decided to do and would try to get her to concede to live her life the way a proper woman of the 'Burg should, but Stephanie would have fought her tooth and nail over it.

Stephanie would have never wanted to live like she did. Valerie always knew that she'd end up like the perfect 'Burg wife because that's what she wanted, but Stephanie wouldn't have ever wanted this type of life.

She saw Mary Alice take several of the crayons and send them rolling right into Angie's pile, making them spread out. When Angie got mad Mary Alice just looked at her and smiled. Valerie at that point knew that she had done it just to piss Angie off because she was tired of Angie getting on her and seeing that that made her laugh out loud.

When the girls heard her, they looked up at her with questioning looks, she smiled at them then remembering that she couldn't really tell them about what had made her laugh about decided that she was done feeling sad so she said "Hey sounds like Grandpa left for a while and dinner is probably going to take a while so instead of waiting why don't we go to Pino's and get some pizza."

They both stood up looked towards the kitchen like they were waiting for their Grandpa to come out and tell them "No" but after a few seconds when that didn't happen they both yelled "Yes!"

Quietly Valerie said "Hurry up and clean up then and make sure you put everything away and we'll leave as soon as you're done."

Valerie watched them as they gathered everything up and quickly put it where they belonged.

She thought if her mom wanted to drown her sorrows in her special drinks then she could do it in alone.

The day still made Valerie sad but she didn't want to wallow in her own misery anymore, she wanted to make it a better day by being with her girls and having a little fun.

So after they were done they walked out of the house without saying anything to her mom.

**Thanks again for all your support.**


End file.
